Gravity
by myoathkeeper
Summary: At that moment, I remember myself thinking, that there was no one else in the whole world that mattered more to me. I could never again live without him – I would rather die. A fanfic that takes place right where New Moon left off...
1. The Typical Night

_**Author's Note: **Okay, so it's 10:30pm right now on a school night but I have to get a little bit of my thoughts down on paper. Well, I just read the incredible _Twilight _series by Stephenie Meyer (which I suggest all of you to read) and I've been getting a lot of inspiration for artwork and fan-fictions (and since I'm a terrible artist, I decided to let my creative spirits flow through writing). Anyway, I was a bit disappointed that we did not hear much about Bella's problem with talking in her sleep in _New Moon_. I couldn't help but ask myself – "What kind of things does Edward hear when Bella's asleep?" And of course, I started to get some feed-back. This little piece of work is written from Edward's perspective on a typical night after spending the day with Bella. If you really want to get the specifics, it is at the end of _New Moon _and they are back together. It is a weekend night. Please note that there are spoilers – read the first two books first! _

_Another note – because I've been getting so many ideas, I've been working on several sequels to this little-short clip. I thought this was just going to be a one-shot initially – ah, see what happens when your imagination gets out of hand?! They all follow in consecutive order, and thus, I've given this series the title _Gravity_. The new stories will either be written from Bella's perspective, however. This one was just for a little creative fun. _

_**Disclaimer: **All the characters in this short-story are the property of Stephenie Meyer as well as the titles _Twilight _and _New Moon_ – I do not own them to any degree whatsoever._

**The Typical Night**

Everything felt right. I couldn't believe how natural it was all coming back to me. I felt – _whole_. The pain was easing away – did I even feel pain in the first place? It was wonderful to be home, with the one I loved.

Night had already fallen outside the window behind us. Not that we could see it however – the window was bricked over. The only source of light in the room was the green glow of the alarm clock on the dresser beside us. It read "11:34", but Bella was as stubborn as ever.

"You really should be getting to bed," I said softly.

"Look, I'm not tried already," but then she yawned and her eyelids slid partway closed.

I pulled the quilt out from under her body and wrapped it around her. Then I pulled her close to me – I was never letting go again. She was so fantastically warm.

"Please, I won't leave," I promised.

She inhaled deeply and smiled slightly. "I know you won't… I just don't want to wake up to Charlie tomorrow."

I sighed. I understood the motives behind Charlie's actions (mind reading abilities give you that advantage) – but it was getting more and more difficult to break them. The bricked-up windows certainly appeared daunting at first, but I found it much easier to unlock the front door and smoothly sneak into Bella's room more to my liking. I knew I shouldn't. In fact, I was a little unhappy with Bella myself. Motorcycles – fast, dangerous, and what she used to provoke her hallucinations of me. Perhaps she needed some sort of punishment. But I couldn't stand being away from her for more than an hour, let alone for the months of retribution she was going to have to make up to her father. I winced when I thought of those long, interminable months in South America…

"Don't worry. Charlie will ease up sooner or later," I tried to sooth her.

"Liar – you already know what he has planned for me. Probably 3 more months of absolute servitude," she said in an annoyed tone.

I narrowed my eyes, but I didn't reply to that. I already knew that Charlie was most likely going to keep her in this state for a little over graduation, but she looked so tired…

"Fine. I'll sing you a lullaby," I whispered into her ear.

"No – I'm not tired!"

Too late – I was already humming her lullaby into her ear. In no time at all her eyelids drooped closed. She snuggled in closer to my body and said very quietly, "I love you," before drifting to sleep. I put my lips behind her ears and murmured "I love you too," and kissed her neck. Her breathing got very heavy and I knew she was unconscious.

Now all I had to do was wait patiently – the entertaining part of my day was coming up very soon.

"Edward…" Bella moaned softly.

I could feel myself grin in the darkness. It was all too good.

"Yes Bella?" I said in a sweet tone.

I knew it was horrible of me to start replying to her but I couldn't help myself. Honestly, I have the most interesting conversations with her when she is asleep.

"I love you," she said.

"I know – I love you too," I kissed her forehead and she smiled – then she started to giggle slightly. Here it comes.

"Do you think vampires can trip?" she said, the words a mush.

"I suppose anything is possible – I bet you would," I grinned to myself.

"It would be so funny if _you_ did though," she continued to laugh to herself.

I have to admit, I was a bit frustrated that I couldn't see her thoughts. Could she possibly be dreaming of me tripping?

She grew silent for awhile then and squirmed a little in my arms. Suddenly, a jumbled mesh poured out of her mouth.

"I'm going to have to make Charlie a cheesecake."

You don't know _half _of the restraint it took to keep myself from bursting out laughing.

"And why is that?" I said, surprised that my voice cracked somewhat.

She ignored the question and continued, "Do you think they put real cheese in a cheesecake? Oh – that's going to mean another trip to the store."

"I'm sure you'll make that _trip _just fine," I snickered to myself.

"Do you think they sell those big circular cheddar cheese pieces at the store? They would be perfect…" she mumbled.

"What about the other ingredients?" I encouraged.

"It's a cheesecake – do you think I need whipped cream?"

"Yes – that's part of the cake," I said – and then I couldn't help myself and added, "You know what, I don't think you should make Charlie a cheesecake."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly and she fell silent for a second before she yelled, "Why?!"

"Uh-oh," I breathed and tensed. I could hear Charlie shuffle in his bedroom across the hall. I quickly entered his thoughts to see if he was awake, but I relaxed when I saw a picture of him zooming across the water in a red cigarette boat – very classy, a Yamaha – I even saw a fishing pole lying across the back of the boat. Suddenly, I had an idea. I tuned Charlie's thoughts out of my head and turned back to Bella.

"You really should be quieter, Bella. You almost woke up Charlie," I said.

"Edward! Charlie's right here! I need to make him a cheesecake or he'll make me do more laundry!" she hissed, her voice cracking.

I covered my mouth to muffle my laughs. "No - ," I managed out and my voice broke as I tried to calm myself. "You don't need to make him a cheesecake. You need to make him a _fish_cake. He has plenty of fish in the freezer already – that way you won't have to risk a _trip _to the store."

Her face grew very serious as she contemplated the thought of making a fishcake. "You don't think it'll be too bony for him?"

"No, I think he'll love it," I mumbled, still grinning.

She turned around so that her face was buried in my chest.

"Strawberries," she said.

"What was that?"

"You smell so sweet," she changed the subject.

"What about the strawberries?" I asked, curious.

"Strawberries would be great with the fishcake."

"Why strawberries?"

Her facial expression changed into a mix of anger and puzzlement. "You don't like strawberries do you?"

That took me aback.

"Uh – I suppose I did once," was all I could come up with. "I like you much better," and I buried my nose in her hair. The floral scent that came off her was intoxicating.

"Everyone loves strawberries though!" she nearly yelled. "I want a strawberry _right now_."

Great. This is what happens when your entertainment gets out of hand.

"You can have one when you're awake," I said after I heard Charlie's loud snoring in the other room that assured me he was still asleep.

"_Now_," she demanded.

I thought for a second, and felt my lips curl upward. "I can give you something much better than a strawberry if you promise to calm down," I said.

Her breathing evened out and she loosened up in my arms. A long pause followed before she breathed very quietly, "What?"

"This," and I pulled her chin up very gently and kissed her lips. It was surprising that her heart rate sped up even though she was asleep.

"Thank you," she whispered so silently that no human would have been able to hear it.

"Anytime," I grinned.

It got very quiet after that and the hours ticked on by. At about three in the morning, she started to wiggle violently in my arms. I tensed hoping she wasn't having a nightmare. I was sure there would have been talking involved though…

"No," she cooed.

Yeah, it was a nightmare.

"Stop it!" she yelled.

"Bella – shh! You'll wake up Charlie!" I cautioned.

"Edward! No!" her face was contorted into that of pain.

"Bella! Its fine, I'm right here!" I held her closer to me.

She started to shake and I was hoping that it was from my skin and not her dream. I pulled the quilt around her and rubbed her back. She continued to squirm until she was able to shrug the quilt off. Her forehead was on fire and beads of sweat were dripping down her neck. Panic started to wash through me.

"No, no, no, stop, stop, stop…" she murmured. "No, take me instead, anything but him. Spare him."

My eyes grew wide. What the hell was she dreaming about? I could feel my jaw tighten and I was even more aggravated that I couldn't see what was going through her head. I wanted to kill whoever was making her say those awful words.

The squirming started to die down when she pressed herself against my cool skin. Finally, she grew quite still. I was far from settled however. I felt like striking something. Esme was still "disappointed" in me that I broke that plasma television from Korea in our living room (Emmett a little more than "disappointed") – not as if we can't get another that looks exactly like it. If that television was still there however, I wouldn't mind rushing home and destroying it again…

"I'll make a deal," Bella said suddenly, breaking my reverie.

"Excuse me?" I questioned.

"Can we please do it at another time? I can't do it now," she said, her tone cutting.

"Do what?" I prodded.

"No, I don't want to do it now!" she complained. "I'll make you a deal, I want to stay here."

Once again she started to squirm around. Her breathing wasn't so deep any more either. I glanced over at the alarm and it read "4:47".

I heard her exhale heavily, and her eyelids started to flutter open.

"Bella, are you okay?" I put my face in front of her.

She looked up at me, her eyes still a bit glazed. She rubbed the sleep out of them.

"What time is it?" she grumbled.

"Almost 4:50. You should go back to bed; Charlie's not even up yet."

She let out a puff of air and seemed exasperated. She rolled out of my arms and climbed out of bed. She was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a loose-fitting navy blue tank top. Her straight dark-brown hair was a wild mess. But I liked it – a little more than I probably should of.

"What's wrong Bella?" I asked anxiously.

She turned to me, her chocolate eyes intense. "It was a no deal."

"What?"

"I have to pee," she left the room in a hurry.

I froze and I could feel the urge to laugh again increasing to a level beyond my control. I pulled the pillow she was sleeping on and let it out in a few cracked gasps. When I was able to compose myself I lingered a bit too long on the pillow, smelling her scent.

I straightened out when I heard Bella approaching.

"I was thinking," she said when she returned into my open, waiting arms.

"I do that too," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "I think I want to go cliff diving again."

I froze. This was something I did not expect in the very least.

"Let me explain," she said in a hurry.

"No – don't even start. I don't know what it is with you! Why is it that you are so into life threatening idiocy?!" I asked angrily.

"You sound like your sister," she whispered in an exasperated tone.

I gritted my teeth. "You almost killed yourself last time."

"Jake saved me," she said quietly.

"I don't care. No cliff diving," I said through clenched teeth.

"Look – this will be different. I want you to come will me. We can go together – it'll be such a rush. Last time, it was so… _exhilarating_. At least it was before I hit the water. Anyway, it will be ten times better with you there," she said, and then added, "You'll get to see me in a bathing suit too."

I pursed my lips. There was more than just cliff diving that attracted her to the beach – it was the Jacob kid. But the thought of seeing her in a bathing suit was _very_ tempting.

"Charlie isn't going to let you go – I think he nearly had an aneurysm when you confessed the truth last time," I sighed futilely.

"Oh, c'mon – Charlie hasn't been out fishing for _weeks_. If it's sunny next weekend, he's going to have to seize the opportunity. I'll just have to promise that I'm going to stay here."

"You're terrible liar."

I could feel the heat coming off her cheeks.

"I'm pretty good at double dipping – you know, not telling the whole truth," she offered.

"That's still lying though," I said triumphant.

"I'll just say that I'm finishing up some homework or crap, maybe throw in a few college applications…"

"You really think he's going to believe you?"

"He has to," she said. "But, forget that for a minute! If all of that is aside, would you go with me?"

"What choice do I have? You'll kill yourself if you go alone," I cringed at the thought of her lifeless body – her almost dead form in the dance studio…

"Great! Do you know what Alice's forecast is for next weekend?"

"No, but I'll ask."

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be sunny – at least that's what it said on the news. Some high is coming over us. Finally, something related to springtime," she breathed happily.

I furrowed my eyebrows and I could feel my head droop slightly. She could be living in Florida if I wasn't here, where the sun is shining nearly every day. I was the only one keeping her in the shadows.

Sensing my distress, she turned towards me and kissed my neck. "Can you handle a day of sunshine? I'm sure there won't be too much of a crowd on the beach. The water is still a bit cold – I don't care. It sort of adds to the high of jumping off the cliff."

I grinned. "Of course I can. Sunshine sounds really nice too…"

She nodded. "It'll all work out, you'll see."

There was a long pause. Suddenly I thought of her episode in the middle of the night.

"Do you remember any of your dreams last night?" I questioned.

Her cheeks turned bright red. "Oh no…"

I chuckled softly. "It wasn't that bad, really… It was just one thing you said that sort of caught my attention."

"And what was that?" she insisted.

"You said, 'No, take me instead, anything but him…'" I quoted in an anxious tone.

Another long pause. I started to count her heartbeats…

"I really don't remember," she confessed, slightly pink in the cheeks.

"If you're lying, I swear I'll find out," I stated defiantly.

"Well – I remember… glimpses. It's very hard to make out. What I recall most from the dream was you – on the floor – cringing…" she shuddered.

That day in Volterra floated, without wanting to, back into my memory. I remembered being reunited with Bella again, and at the same time the pain I endured from a member of the Volturri, Jane. It left me on the floor twisting and turning. I hope Bella will never experience that kind of pain.

"Don't think about that," I said sternly through gritted teeth. "That will never happen again. It was foolish of me to think I could, possibly, take down, someone with her abilities…" I choked.

Her eyes had an overcast glare to them that frightened me. I switched the topic.

"There was something else that interested me," I said, hoping to lighten the mood.

The alarm went off in Charlie's room suddenly, making the two of us freeze at the sound. I could hear Charlie's thoughts drifting back into the conscious mind…

I leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Let me know when you get that fishcake done for Charlie. I'm sure he'll bring an assortment of fish home next Saturday – I can help you make it if you like." Once again I could feel her cheeks flush as I kissed her forehead and leaped silently off her bed. When I reached the bedroom door, I opened it and walked swiftly to the entrance. I exited just as I heard Charlie open Bella's bedroom door…


	2. Convincing

_**Author's Note: **If you have read my last fan-fiction _The Typical Night_, this is a continuation of it. Instead of Edward's point-of-view though, we are back in the mind of Bella. I couldn't help myself. I want to continue to live in the world of Bella and Edward as long as possible, and in order for me to do that, I'm will precede to write more of these short stories. Perhaps it will tide me over until _Eclipse _comes out. Anyway, this one came from a bunch of "What would happen if…" questions that popped into my head. I hope that it sticks as close as possible to what the real Edward and Bella would have done in these situations. Perhaps a few of the quotes and actions were twisted for my benefit, but I'm hoping their true character traits pull through. _

_Well, enough of the rant, here's my other crummy attempt at fan-fiction. Males Beware! This has a lot of girl humor in it. Please note that I don't remember the order of Bella's schedule either so don't criticize me on it. Also, there are spoilers ahead! You've been warned!_

_**Disclaimer: **Once again, I do not hold any ownership whatsoever to the books _Twilight _or _New Moon_. Copyrights are reserved to Stephenie Meyer only._

**Convincing**

"Dad," I said, looking up from my cereal bowl. My spoon had been involuntarily making circling motions in the cereal for sometime. I had to figure out a way to word this properly. One little mistake could break his trust in me.

"Hum?" he pulled his eyes off the newspaper in his lap.

"The news says it's going to be sunny tomorrow – I was wondering if you were interested in fishing," I said warily.

He shot me a dark look. "You know I can't do that Bella. I have to be sure you are taking care of your responsibilities here at home."

No, I thought. You just want to make sure that I _stay _at home. He already knew that all the laundry was completed; the dishes sorted and cleaned, the vacuuming done, and the bathrooms spotless. Until I paid the price of the motorcycle and running away without explaining exactly why, this whole house was going to remain immaculate.

"Dad, you know that I have all of my chores done," I said, rolling my eyes. "I was only thinking about you. You look so down lately. I know it's because you haven't been out in awhile. Besides," I was really winging this. "We're getting low on fish in the freezer."

He pondered that for awhile and before he said anything I added, "You could take Billy too. I don't think he's recovered entirely from Harry's death. He needs someone like you by his side to cheer him up. A nice day on the water, catching some fish – it's something he really needs right now."

A flicker of emotion crossed his face and he said, "But what would you do while I was gone? How would I make sure you _stay_," he added extra emphasis on the last word, "here?"

"Dad," I said as I reached across the table to take a hold of the hand that was next to his coffee mug. "You have to have a little faith in me. I'm not going to be doing anything but homework and college applications all day tomorrow – nothing exciting," except cliff diving… "Besides, there's no way to escape this house in the first place," I eyed the bricked over windows and the bolted lock he installed on the front door. I was still curious how Edward was able to get passed that…

He sighed. "It did say that this was going to be the only sunny weekend for awhile…"

I was already up from the table and grabbing the phone off the kitchen counter. I handed it to him and said, "Call Billy. You guys would have a great time together."

Charlie looked up at me and smiled. "Thanks Bells. You promise you won't do anything stupid while I'm gone?"

"Promise," I said quickly, turning my head so that he would not notice the slight flush on my cheeks.

He started to dial Billy's number. I took my barely eaten cereal to the sink and washed it out. After placing it in the dish rack, I raced upstairs to go change. Who knew I was so good at winging it?

As I changed, I hoped that Billy would pick up the phone. I knew that the Black residence was trying to avoid the Swan's now. My futile calls were never answered anymore. I couldn't believe that my being with Edward had ended another relationship with my best friend. Tomorrow, I hoped to correct that. I had promised to myself that I would see Jacob smile again at any cost.

I was nearly naked when I felt something uncomfortable down _there_. Uh-oh. I checked my panties. Sure enough, my worst fear.

It was that time of month again.

"No, no, no!" I lamented as I ran to the bathroom. This was the worst time of the month for more reasons than one. It was a week in which physical contact with Edward was downright impossible – and tomorrow… of all the times this should happen!

Of course, Edward could look at this as a little bit of good fortune on his part. For most of the week, I could sense that he was reconsidering on taking me cliff diving. Victoria was the most obvious reason. We still had no idea where she fled off to, but until we did, Edward was going to continue to be overprotective around me. The other reason was perhaps the fact that he knew I wanted to see Jacob. I could feel my face harden at the thought of Edward not allowing me access to the one safe harbor I had when he was gone. It pained me.

Yet, no matter what, my mind was set. I was going cliff diving again, whether he came or not. I craved for the exhilaration again; something I lacked after Jacob exposed to Charlie my motorcycle.

I was standing in the bathroom with a change of underwear in one hand and a tampon in the other. I cringed as I looked at the cylindrical device. It was pure torture. I _hated _tampons with a passion. For some reason, they just don't work for me. Somehow, they always go in the wrong way, or go in the right way and come out the wrong way. Other times, they don't absorb any of my flow or my flow is too light that I have to rip it out of my system dry. Yes, tampons were hell. But I bought a pack at the store this time in order to give them another shot. Anything to keep Edward close to me…

About ten minutes later, the bathroom looked like a murder scene. There was blood on the little rug in front of the shower, toilet paper with blood lying in the waste bin, blood in the toilet, and even little specs of blood on the bathroom cabinets. The first time I toyed with the wretched thing, it didn't go in right so I had to pull it back out. The second time, I wasn't able to push the tampon all the way up so it, too, was pulled out. The third time, I had pushed it in right and everything, but it felt so foreign in my body that I yanked it back out. Now my "special area" was on fire and I was really pissed off with myself. I think I even felt like crying.

"Bella?" there was a pounding on the bathroom door. "Bella, are you okay?"

"Yes Dad, I'm fine!" I responded angrily.

"You've been in the bathroom an awfully long time…"

"I'm fine," I said, on the verge of hysterics. Then I looked again at the blood around the room. I wonder if Charlie thought I was hurting myself. I nearly shrieked at the thought. Might as well tell the truth. "I'm just dealing with some _womanly _things right now. Do you have to use the bathroom?"

"Oh, no, take your time!" Charlie replied, catching my tone. I heard him walk off.

I sighed and started to clean the bathroom up. I flushed the toilet and lined my panties with a pad. The whole tampon thing was never going to work out.

I finished dressing in the bathroom as well as scrubbed my teeth (that made me feel a bit better) and combed my natty hair. Afterwards, I rushed down the stairs and grabbed my knapsack and books that were lying haphazardly across one of the kitchen counters. I crossed the kitchen into the hallway that led to the front door. I fumbled with the bolted lock a bit, but when I was able to unlock it I called behind my shoulder, "Bye Dad, love you!" and skidded out the door.

I ran into my old, red truck and turned on the ignition. It roared to life – a loud, deafening sound that signaled to everyone when I was passing by. I backed out of the driveway and onto the street. I made a silent prayer that I wasn't late for school.

I made it to school in record time. I was pushing my car to a speed of about fifty and I was worried that the engine might cut off. Everybody was making their way inside by the time I parked my dilapidated vehicle in one of the few parking spaces available. Grabbing my knapsack and books, I was about to open my door when it swung open by itself. My heart did a quick stutter when I saw who was standing outside.

"Good. You had me worried," Edward said in his velvety voice. He eyed me a second and then backed up a few paces so I could step down from my truck.

"Why should you be worried? I never get myself into life threatening situations on a daily basis that would make me late for school," I said sarcastically as I jumped down from my truck.

I looked up and his eyebrows were furrowed. He obviously didn't find that funny. I started to walk forward to grab his hand, but his hands quickly moved up to clasp my shoulders and hold me in place at arms length away from him. He was looking down at the concrete.

"You smell nice today," he said softly.

"Thanks," I said as I tried in vain to move closer to him.

"I mean _too _nice," he clarified.

"Oh," I mumbled.

He shook his head, still looking down at the asphalt of the parking lot. He closed his eyes and continued to hold me firmly away from him.

"What day of the month is it?" he asked.

"Uh…"

"Bella," he let go of my shoulders and looked up into my eyes. They looked pained. "I'm sorry…"

"Please don't tell me we're not going to go cliff diving tomorrow!" I said in a hurry.

He turned his face to the side, his topaz eyes speculative. I had the urge to touch his soft, cool face but I kept my distance. Who knew how hard this was for him?

"I really don't think it's a good idea -," he started, but I interrupted.

"Well, fine. I'm going anyway. I already got Charlie to go fishing with Billy so I have the whole day entirely to myself."

He looked back at me, eyes wide in surprise. "How did you manage to do that?"

"Well, I don't know if Billy actually agreed to go fishing with him yet, but I'm pretty sure that Charlie will be out on the water anyway. I could tell that he _really _wanted to go. I sort of pushed him at that angle when I was convincing him it was alright to leave me alone. I promised him that I wouldn't do anything stupid – just homework, college applications…"

He closed his eyes again and moved his hand to the bridge of his nose. "Here you're promising not to do anything _stupid_, yet you are going cliff diving anyway. You're absolutely hopeless Bella."

I could feel my checks beginning to burn and I looked down at my feet. Suddenly, I felt something cold prop my chin up and I was looking into Edward's beautiful face.

"Well, if it's any constellation prize, I'm going with you. I don't want to miss you in a bathing suit," and he flashed my favorite crooked smile of his.

I smiled back, it was impossible not to. However, I knew in the corner of my mind that this meant I would have to wake up and have another tangle with the tampons.

His hand dropped from my chin and slipped into my hand. He began to drag me to our first class period – Calculus. I nearly gagged. I was barely making an A in the class. Edward was, of course, passing in flying colors, despite the fact that he was gone for nearly half of the year.

"You might want to speed up a little Bella or we are going to be late," Edward said looking ahead at the math department building.

Ugh. I was barely keeping in step with the pace he was setting. I was concentrating hard on not having a klutz moment.

"I'm working on it," I replied coldly.

The bell rang signaling the end of my third class of the day – one of the only two I didn't have with Edward. I leaped from my seat at the sound and slipped my knapsack over my shoulder. I walked swiftly, for a ditz at least, across the room to the door. I opened it to find Edward leaning against the concrete wall waiting for me. He had on his crooked grin when he turned to me.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," he said, still sneering.

I narrowed my eyes. "What is it you find so amusing?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

His grin widened. "I said you'll find out soon enough."

Stupid, selfish mind-reader.

I pushed my hands into my pockets. He was keeping a good distance away from me (two inches is extremely far away) and I was fighting the urge to grab his hand. I had been trying for most of the day to stifle my insidious flow. I had about ten pads stuffed in my knapsack for these occasions. After every period, I congregated in the girl's bathroom to dispose of the old band-aid and make way for a new, clean wrap in order to control the smell. Obviously I wasn't making much success.

We walked to our next class in silence. It was my least favorite of all – gym. I thought I had finished my service in that field of my education after two years of it in Phoenix. At the time, I only needed two credits of PE to graduate, but that all changed when I moved to Forks. I can't help but ask myself sometimes – what kind of backwards society is this? In a place where it rains nearly everyday, we are required to take gym for our four years of high school – yet in the hottest and perhaps one of the sunniest places in the U.S., we are only required to take it for two years. Why this is so is beyond me.

The reason I despised gym so much was the fact that it was the one class of the day where I truly made a fool of myself. I was a disgrace to the class with my utter clumsiness. In fact, until Edward convinced the female administrators to allow him to switch into my gym fourth period, I was picked last for teams whenever we played sports games.

Then something clicked on in my head like a light-bulb when we reached the locker rooms. I could feel my mouth start to drop open at the realization.

"See you in class," Edward said as he turned left and sauntered off into the men's locker rooms. I could hear the amusement in his voice.

I stomped into the women's locker room, angrier than ever. I opened the door and dropped my knapsack on the floor beside my locker while I furiously twisted my combination. Lauren, who conveniently owned the locker behind me, noticed my behavior. I could hear her snicker slightly.

"Not feeling too good about gym today are we?" Lauren said sarcastically.

"Not particularly," I replied in a cutting tone.

"Ah, don't worry. I'm sure _Cullen _will be by your side throughout the whole thing," she said in mock comfort.

I blanched. It was going to be all the more embarrassing because he was here.

I grabbed my gym clothes out of my locker and ran to one of the few available bathroom stalls to change. In the process, I again swapped for a new band-aid. I slipped on my navy shorts and gray T-shirt and pulled my hair back in a pony tail. When I securely tied my sneakers on, I walked out of the bathroom stall, placed my regular clothes in my locker, and headed for the main gym.

Coach Clapp stood to the side of the gym with a clipboard in his hands. Everyone was arranging themselves into our "attendance lines". Because we were arranged in alphabetical order, I was in the last column. I examined the floor and noticed the orange cones that created a perimeter around the gym. This was going to be a fun day, I thought to myself acidly. I turned toward the gym doors and felt my heart leap when they opened and a group of people entered.

Among the mass was Edward. He was wearing a loose-fitting, white T-shirt with a pair of navy-blue shorts that showed off his lean, muscular body. His pale skin glowed faintly in the gym lights. His topaz eyes focused on me and he grinned from the distance. He was so beautiful. This was the part of my day where I loathed having a last name that began with the letter "S" because I was four columns away from where Edward was.

Coach Clapp scrutinized the rows. When he was assured everyone was present, he said, "Alright, as I told you last week, today we are completing the post test to the fitness exams we took in September. We will be starting with the mile today – as you can see by the cones," he gestured to them. "You will have to do a total of 12 laps around the gym in order to complete your mile. When you are done, I will tell you your time which you will record in your notebooks. I expect everyone to do better than your previous score. Your grade _is _reflected on whether you were able to beat your score or not." He walked to the edge of the gym and pointed down at the spot in front of him. "Line up here!" he shouted.

At least its inside, I thought to myself as I walked over to where Coach Clapp was pointing. I won't have to suffer the same amount of tripping that happened last time on the track field – I could feel my checks redden at the thought of tripping when Edward was present (he wasn't there the last time – obviously, we were running on the track when it was sunny outside – he decided to skip school that day). This was going to be hell.

Edward walked up beside me and the scowl on my face became more pronounced. This only strengthened the grin that had been etched on his beautiful face since I saw him after third period. He already knew this was going to be a show.

"1, 2, 3, GO!" Coach Clapp shouted and then blew his whistle.

The rest of the class rushed ahead in nice, even strides. I noticed Mike and Tyler taking the lead while Eric followed close behind. In the middle was the majority of the girl's (such as Lauren – ugh) that knew how to keep a steady pace without exerting themselves too much. And, bringing up the rear was Edward and I.

"How are you doing Bella?" Edward asked easily keeping up with me.

I turned my head and gave him a dark look. He laughed.

"What was your time on the last mile?" he asked.

"Uh -," I hesitated. "I think somewhere between 12 and 14 minutes…" actually, it was 13:52 – like I was going to tell him that. "What was _your _time on the mile the last time you took it?"

He pondered the question for a minute and said, "I think it was 6:43 or something like that."

"Well that's surprising – I was expecting something more along the lines of 1:18 or lower. You disappoint me," I shook my head sardonically.

He just chuckled.

We were coming to the first bend in the gym and I was at risk of tripping. I began to slow down considerably and I could hear Edward sigh. I flashed him a look.

"Do you really think you are going to trip when I'm here Bella? Do you really think I would let that happen to you?" he asked.

"No – I just don't want to look like a fool," I replied in a cutting tone.

"You'll never look like a fool in my eyes," and he leaned really close to me and I could smell his sweet, alluring breath. Suddenly, my legs went numb and the gym seemed to be tilting on its axis…

Edward grabbed the side of my waist before I hit the floor. He was dragging me along and I noticed some of the probing stares of the other kids that passed us – already on their second lap…

"Bella – what am I ever going to do with you?" I could feel him shake his head.

All of a sudden I was extremely aggravated at my overt clumsiness. "I know what you could do…" I said through clenched teeth.

Edward noticed my abrupt change in tone. "And what's that?" he asked guardedly.

"You could change me."

I was utterly surprised when he chortled darkly to himself. "I thought we already had this discussion."

"And my bid was 18 more months," I said, as Edward and I began our second lap, Coach Clapp eyeing us curiously.

"And I said 'no deal', I believe," he said, the smirk on his face widening.

"Well I still have graduation to look forward too," I reminded him.

"Yes, I suppose. But it doesn't take away from the fact that -," and he leaned in close again and whispered into my ear, "You want me _bad_."

I could feel the blood rushing up to my cheeks. He was so right. I wanted him _really _bad. I would rather have him transform me than Carlisle – but that would mean…

"What is it that you find so repulsive about marrying me? How do I _convince _you? Is it because I'm a monster?" he asked.

"Hardly. You're more than I deserve, actually – you don't need to convince me of anything," I said.

He opened his mouth to protest, but I ignored him and continued, "Like I said before, I think it's just my views on marriage that I sort-of carried over from Renee. I mean commitment…"

He shook his head. "Yet you are totally prepared to lose your soul and become one of the eternally damned though?"

"You make it sound worse than it really is – as long as I am with you, then nothing else matters. Nothing. The pain. The hunting. The abilities. The immortality. And even losing my soul – it means nothing to me. You are my everything," I said full of conviction.

His head turned to me, topaz eyes smoldering – full of love. "But marriage means nothing to you?"

"No – it will eventually. Just not now – I mean, flowers, cake, decorations, a church, programs, a dress, and," I gulped, "high-heeled shoes…"

He laughed. "Oh, but I liked you in those stilettos."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"So – you would rather pick immortality over a simple wedding?"

"Well… for now," I said shakily.

"That's okay, I can wait," he smiled to himself.

Oh – he is so unfair! I knew he could wait – but because I wanted so badly for him to change me, I could wait too. I could give him exactly what he wants – a mortal life for me. Plus, I was on the verge of 20 years old – I was going to be 19 in September, and if I was going to be a vampire I was staying in my teens. Sooner or later, I thought to myself, I was going to have to consent to his demands…

So I responded with a scowl. By this time we were completing our fifth lap and making our way back to Coach Clapp who was standing at the starting line.

Edward suddenly had a huge smirk on his face. Before I could ask why, he said, "Coach Clapp is a little disappointed with me. He's going to say something in 3 –," his voice abruptly dropped to a whisper as we got closer to the coach, "2 – 1 – …"

"Cullen! Speed up!" Coach Clapp yelled. "You could at least put a little effort into it instead of hanging in the shadow of your _girlfriend_," he said, staring hard at me. I could feel my face flush. "I know you can do better than that!"

I flinched for I was pretty confident this would start Edward into one of his tempers… but instead the grin on his face became more pronounced after we passed the coach.

"Do you really want to be with me?" he asked out of the blue.

"Yes, of course I do. What sort of question is that?"

He turned and flashed me his crooked smile, eyes sparkling mischievously. "Then – catch me."

He started to speed up and I could barely keep in time with him. One minute later, he was 20 feet ahead of me, the number increasing as I trailed behind further and further. I could feel the sweat dripping down my neck and the panic of falling at any time. Cheater – how could I possibly ever keep up with him?

He glanced behind his shoulder, grinning maliciously. Every so often he would slow down until just a little out of my reach and then speed up again. Ugh!

The lion was obviously having fun with his lamb today.

Turns out Edward's taunting allowed me to beat my score by an entire minute. Edward wound up with an 11:55 and a disapproving scold from Coach Clapp. All I knew was that I was extremely happy I didn't have gym for two whole days.

Edward and I were walking from the gym locker rooms heading towards the cafeteria. We passed by the restrooms and then it hit me.

"Uh – I have to go to bathroom," I said quickly.

Edward turned his head to me and frowned. He glanced around us and I followed suit. Most of the students weren't paying attention to us – they've gotten used to Edward and I being inseparable. Plus, most of the kids were herding into the direction of the cafeteria, thinking only of the prospect of food when they got there. When I turned back to Edward, I had the distinct feeling he was thinking of the same thing – his topaz eyes were burning into mine. In one fluid motion, he grabbed my hand and dragged me around the corner into a crevice that hid us from view in the hallway. My back was pressed to the wall and his body was squeezed firmly against mine. I could feel my heart beat getting erratic when his face bent down closer to me and I could smell his overpowering scent.

"I know what you've been doing in the bathroom and frankly, I'm getting tired of it," he said. "Please don't be ashamed of something that is a simple human process."

"Edward," I said, exasperated. "I've been doing this for _you_. I don't want to make this any harder on you. I don't want to be a burden."

He smiled slightly. "Who ever said you were a burden? I _like_ being close to you."

I sighed. "You masochistic lion."

His grin widened. "Besides, it is getting easier. I barely notice the scent anymore."

"Liar!"

His eyes grew intense as they continued to bore into mine. "Okay – I suppose that is a lie. I'm merely getting used to it. It's tolerable. It's more like – hum, how should I put it? Dead blood I suppose? Nothing nearly as potent as a fresh cut. So, please, stop preventing me from seeing you by going to the restroom between every period. It's driving me insane." He leaned in closer and I could feel the heat in my cheeks. "I can handle it. I swear." And he kissed my check and intertwined his fingers in mine. Before I even felt faint, he pulled me out of the crevice and we were walking back toward the lunch room. I wrapped my hands around his waist and he didn't say anything – in fact, it almost sounded as if he was sighing in content.

"Bella, honestly, you need some new clothes," Alice said when Edward and I took our seats next to her at the lunch table, across from Mike, Jessica, Angela, Lauren, and Eric. They ignored us as usual – the three of us had our own little impenetrable conversation bubble on the other side of the table that no one dared enter in to. Sometimes I even forgot they existed on the other side of the table.

I looked down at my raggedy clothes. My blue jeans were worn and faded from being in the washing machine a number of times. My baggy T-shirt was just a plain-blue color. I think the shirt was all the way from the 8th grade, but I couldn't recall. I sighed.

"Alice, I thought we've been through this conversation already. I don't need any clothes."

She snorted and it was so elegant. "Bella, those clothes you have on are so old – sure, you may not need them in the sense that you need clothes to wear. You need new clothes in the sense that the fashion police will arrest you if you continue to wear those any longer."

"Well, I'm still wearing them," I said annoyed.

"Bella – couldn't I just have a little more vicarious fun with you by taking you out shopping sometime? We can buy you some real clothes."

"Alice, I would love to go shopping with you anytime, but not if you buy me any clothes. I don't like standing out," I said.

I think I heard Edward mutter something along the lines of "too late" under his breath.

"Anyway, it's not like I can get out of the house either. Charlie has me on a tight leash."

Alice trilled a laugh. "Yet you and Edward are going cliff diving tomorrow?"

Briefly, I was taken aback, but knowing Alice, she would have seen that coming as soon as the decision was made. "Yes – by the way, how is the forecast tomorrow?"

She paused for a second, concentrating, and then smiled. "Beautiful in the morning – however, it's going to start raining again by mid-afternoon. What time do you expect Charlie home?"

"I'm not quite sure," I said. In fact, I wasn't a hundred percent sure if his plans were arranged with Billy yet.

"Pity – we could go shopping right after diving," she said, sounding hopeful.

"Uh, sorry Alice, I'd rather play it safe."

She shook her head, exasperated. "Your not off the hook though – by graduation time, there is no way you are escaping," and she turned to me with a malicious grin across her face. I gulped and turned to Edward with a pleading look. He gave me one of his lopsided grins and held up his hands in a defeated gesture. "It's out of my hands."

I picked up my bagel and started to pluck it to pieces. I wasn't feeling hungry anymore.

"Hey Dad!" I called out to him as I scooped a spoonful of spaghetti noodles onto his plate. He had just walked into the door. "I have dinner ready."

"Aw, thanks Bells," he said as he walked into the kitchen, smiling.

I smiled back and started to spread the Ragu onto his noodles. I added a little Kraft parmesan and handed the plate to him. He took it and sat down at the kitchen table. I followed suit with my own plate.

"So, how was work today?" I said on a cheerful note.

He twisted the noodles with his fork while pouring salt everywhere. "Ah, it was okay. Nothing exciting. Good news is we haven't heard much about those wolves for quite awhile. We're all hoping that they've moved on."

I gave him a nervous laugh and said, "That's – er – great Dad."

He smiled and stuck a fork full of spaghetti noodles into his mouth.

"By the way, were you able to get a hold of Billy?" I asked.

"Yeah – though he seemed a little off. I think he's worried about Jacob, but he didn't say anything about it. I'm hoping it has nothing to do with Sam's gang," Charlie's features hardened. "But, then again, it doesn't seem like those kids are causing any trouble around town. I didn't bother Billy about it. Anyway, he agreed to go fishing with me. He wanted to talk with me about a few things."

I tried not to choke on the spaghetti noodles in my mouth. I prayed that Billy didn't want to talk to Charlie about the whole Edward and me thing. I swallowed hard, and forced a smile out. "That's great! You two really need to catch up with each other. You'll have a good time on the water. How long are you guys going to be gone?"

"I don't know – depends on the weather," he said.

So, I had until mid-afternoon, based on Alice's forecast. I devoured the rest of my spaghetti and got up to wash my plate. While I was scrubbing the rest of the dishes and filling containers with leftovers, I couldn't help but think of Jacob. My heart had fallen when Charlie had mentioned that Jacob's most likely depressed. It was all my fault – all my fault, I thought to myself. I could feel tears swelling in my eyes as I worked furiously on the spaghetti sauce pot.

"Whoa – slow down kiddo," Charlie said when he saw me attacking the pot.

I finished the dishes and Charlie went to the living room and turned on the television. He turned to a major league baseball game, and I could feel myself grin slightly. I would forever be biased with baseball.

"Charlie, I'm going upstairs to work on a book report for English and then I'm going to bed. I'm not sure if I'll be up when you leave, so I hope you have a good time," I said.

He nodded and, using all of his effort, pulled his eyes off the television to look at me. "Thank you Bella. Sleep well – and I better find you home when I return," he said in a serious tone.

"Don't worry Dad. I'll be here," I said quickly and ran up the stairs to my room. When I got there, I sat on my bed and thought about tomorrow. I hoped against hope that Edward wouldn't change his mind at the last minute. I really wanted to do this for more reasons than one. I needed to apologize to Jacob – I needed to know that he was okay. I needed to see him smile again.

I don't know how long I was staring at my ceiling, but suddenly a pair of strong, icy hands clasped my waist and pulled me to the side. I was being hugged against a solid body that I knew and loved.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward murmured into my ear.

"Actually, I was hoping you wouldn't change your mind about tomorrow," I said softly.

"I won't, don't worry. You're too stubborn – if I don't go, you'll go by yourself and jump off the cliff. That'll drive me crazy," he said.

I smiled. "Good."

"But we're going to be extra careful Bella – we still don't have any clue where Victoria is. I don't want to stay out there too long."

"That's okay – Charlie is probably going to be back home anyway when it starts to rain. I need to be back before he is."

"Yes you do. Charlie has serious doubts about leaving you here alone. They're all justifiable too, considering that tomorrow you're going cliff diving." I knew he was rolling his eyes.

"Oh, can't you just look forward to it? This is going to be fun – nothing is going to happen," I whispered.

"Knowing you, the whole world is going to end the moment you jump. You're a trouble magnet!"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "My mind is set."

"And who knows how much power I have to change it?" he breathed and I could feel his face ruffle through my hair.

We stayed like that for awhile until Edward started to hum my lullaby. I could feel my eyes droop. I cursed my human instincts. I wanted to stay like that forever – an eternity of this.

"I love you," I said my voice slow and drawn out.

"I love you," he said back and kissed the tip of my ear.

And then I lost consciousness.

-----

_**AN: **I started writing this fan-fiction before I went to Stephenie Meyer's webpage and read through the Lexicon site. Someone asked her what Edward does when Bella is having her period and she replied that he notices it but stays away from the subject because he is too much of a gentleman. I decided not to change it from what I perceived Edward would do in that situation, so I'm sorry if it doesn't sound like him. I'm really only writing this for my benefit. XD_


	3. Cliff Diving

_**Author's Note: **I'd like to thank everyone who has become interested in this pretty-crummy fan-fiction (not quite sure where I'm even going with it yet – I'm sort of writing it for fun really) and those who have given me some of the nicest comments. I really do appreciate it – you guys are the ones who actually make me want to continue I suppose. Anyway – on with the show! After this chapter, the next one is the one I'm really interested in writing. Tee-hee._

_Oh, and I'm sorry about how the time and setting changed abruptly in the last fan-fiction without any warning. On Microsoft Word, I did have a dash to indicate these changes, but it never showed up on the site. Haha – sorry. Hopefully I corrected it this time. _

**_Disclaimer: _**Twilight _and _New Moon _are property of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer alone. I do not own them to any degree._

**Cliff Diving**

There was a loud beeping sound that was getting on my nerves. I reached out my hand to try to squelch the annoying ring, but I couldn't find anything through the darkness of my room. I heard a sigh and then the sound stopped.

"Edward?" I said groggily.

"Shh!" he replied in an urgent tone.

Suddenly, the door to my room opened and Charlie was standing in the doorway. It was too late to fake sleep – I was looking directly at him.

"Bella?"

"Oh – hey Dad," I yawned. "I just got up."

"I'm sorry if I woke you, I just wanted to check on you before I left. You'll be okay by yourself?" he asked.

"Of course Dad, you can count on me," I smiled weakly.

He smiled back. "I hope so – bye Bells," he said as he shut the door quietly.

I closed my eyes when he left and rubbed my temples. I was wondering what time it was when I opened my eyes and found a pair of topaz eyes staring back at me, only inches away.

"Ah - !" I started, but Edward put his cool hand over my mouth to silence me.

"Bella, calm down," he took his hand away from my mouth and placed his ear over my heart. Together we listened to it return to a normal pace. After a time, I said, "Why did my alarm clock go off? Don't you usually shut it off before it rings?"

"I heard Charlie coming towards your room and I went to hide in your closet. I completely forgot about the alarm until you started slapping the thin air trying to turn it off," he chuckled slightly.

"Oh," I murmured. I started stroking his bronze hair, thinking to myself. "So when are we leaving?"

"Whenever you want," he replied.

I turned to the clock and it said 6:35. I was debating whether I wanted to get out of bed or not, when Edward sat up and smiled at me. "Do you want to leave now?"

"After I have my human moment," I said. "Uh – make that two human moments," I added when I thought about the tampons.

He nodded and eyed me as I walked to my closet, pulled out my old, one-piece bathing suit (that I'm sure I haven't seen since I lived in Phoenix), a jacket, sweat pants, and sneakers and then headed toward the bathroom.

I took a nice soothing shower before I attempted the tampons. After I got out, I towel dried my hair, combed it, and then brushed my teeth. Finally, I took one of the horrid devices out of its package and shivered when I looked at the little plastic applicator.

"Let's get this over with," I said silently.

-

Edward was sitting across the kitchen table, watching me eat my toast. I was so proud of myself that I was able to successfully get the tampon in on my first try – what was even better was that I barely even noticed it at all! If only it always happened like that…

When I finished the last bite of my toast, I took the paper napkin it had been lying on and threw it in the waste basket. I turned to Edward and said, "All set when you are!"

He smiled his crooked smile and got up from his chair. He walked around to where I was standing and took my hand. Together we walked out the door, made sure it was locked, and preceded into Edward's silver Volvo.

As we headed towards La Push, I was bouncing up and down in the passenger seat from excitement. One, we might, by chance, be able to see Jacob. Two, I was going cliff diving with Edward. This was going to be an experience that I needed to commit to memory.

Suddenly, I could hear muffled laughs from the driver's seat.

I turned to Edward who I could tell was trying, futilely, to stop laughing. I frowned and said, "What now?"

"It's just that – last night, Bella," his grin widened. "You had that dream again - you were talking about how you were all excited about making a fishcake for Charlie."

"A fishcake?" I said, puzzled.

"Never mind," he said, shaking his head.

I furrowed my eyebrows, but didn't ask him about it.

We were weaving through La Push at about 90 miles an hour. I tried in vain to see anyone that I recognized. Embry, Paul, Emily, Jared… even Sam. I started to wonder if Quil was apart of the pack now. But, most of all, I kept my eyes peeled for Jacob. I was having no luck with anything – Edward's speed was rushing everything past us in a wild blur.

"Edward, can't you slow down just a little?" I asked politely when I looked at the speedometer. "Holy crow! SLOW DOWN!"

He was going faster than his usual fast – the needle on the speedometer was edging 130 miles per hour. I didn't even know cars were able to go that fast. I stared at him long and hard, but he kept his eyes on the road and made no attempt at slowing down.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"You know I wouldn't have such a thing happen to you while I'm here – stop being ridiculous," he said, his features hardening. He seemed to be concentrating on something.

"What's wrong then?"

His eyebrows creased in a line of worry. "Something isn't right – this whole place isn't right…"

"Okay, explain that to me."

"Look, the last time you saw Jacob you learned about the treaty. When he learned that it was a possibility that you were going to be changed - "

"You mean when he learned of the reality that I was going to be changed," I corrected.

He gritted his teeth. "When he learned of the _possibility_ that you were going to be changed into one of us, he lost it. The last thing I saw flow through his mind was him thinking, 'This means war', before running into the woods and exploding into a wolf," he ended the last part with a scowl.

I gaped at him. "I can't believe Jacob would think of such a thing! I told him before this was no war!"

"Apparently that didn't sink in very well," he said coolly.

I shook my head sadly. I wanted both to pulverize Jake and, at the same time, hug him to death.

"Okay, so he thinks a non-existent war is going on. I don't think they would suddenly make a move when I'm in the car. Why then are you driving like an insane lunatic?"

He narrowed his eyes at the road and said slowly, "Because I can't hear any of the packs thoughts within a 10 mile radius of here. In fact, I barely hear anyone's thoughts at all – everything seems deathly quiet. I can't even smell their horrid stench either – not anywhere."

My eyes widened. Was it possible that the whole pack left La Push?

Abruptly, the clouds parted and light filled the landscape around us. It came through the front window of the car and hit the dashboard. The tips of Edward's fingers on the steering wheel illuminated with a surreal glow. I momentarily forgot about the pressing matter and hoped that no one was at the beach today, like us, to take advantage of this sunny day.

In less than a minute later, we were zooming along the cliffs of the La Push beach. I was staring absent-mindedly out the window when a certain area of the beach caught my attention.

"STOP!" I yelled.

Edward's head zipped in my direction, and he said anxiously, "What's wrong Bella?!"

"Stop Edward! I said STOP!" I nearly shrieked.

He slammed his foot on the brake and the car screeched to a halt in the middle of the road. He turned to me and said, "Bella? What the hell is going on?"

I unbuckled my seatbelt and was about to open the door when something grabbed my wrist and held me in place.

"Bella, what are you doing?"

"I'm going cliff diving, are you coming?" I replied.

He stared at me for a long moment and said, "Why did you make me stop here?"

"Because this is where I jumped the last time," I said simply.

Several emotions flickered across his face at once. Anger, sadness, puzzlement, and, finally, frustration. "Bella, can we please go to a different area?" he said through clenched teeth.

"No, I want to go here."

"I'd rather not."

"Why?"

He looked down at the leather seat I was sitting on but didn't unclench my wrist. "It is because you jumped here the first time that I don't want to do it in this place. Don't you understand Bella?" He jerked his head upward and was suddenly two inches from my face again. "There was more than one reason I was hesitant about allowing you to go cliff diving again. Do you want me to name them all for you? One – Victoria, we have no idea where in the world she is. Two – that pack of wolves that lives nearby. And three," he said and choked, "Because this is where I almost lost you forever – where I thought I would spend the rest of eternity alone and without you – where I made plans to kill myself in order to escape the unbelievable pain…"

I could feel the tears rising in my eyes as I stared into his saddened eyes. I began to wonder that if vampires could cry, would there be tears coming out of his eyes too…?

"Bella," he said softly, as he let go of my wrist and reached up to hold my face firmly in his hands. He leaned in and kissed me firmly on the lips, more forcibly than usual. I put my hands around his head and tangled them in his hair, pulling him closer to me. Out of nowhere, his hand wrapped around my back and I was being hugged against his body in the driver's seat. He stopped and we were both gasping for air. He closed his eyes and moved the tip of his nose along my collarbone as I tried to regain control of my heart rhythm. He wasn't doing much to help my efforts though. His cold lips started to plant kisses running from my collarbone, to up around my neck, to the crevice behind my ear, and then all along my forehead. I could feel myself losing my self-control as I traced my free hand along his faintly sparkling arm, up around his shoulders, and then across his perfect face.

"Fine, you win," I whispered.

"Thank you," he breathed as his kissed my check and grazed my shoulder with his hand. I tingled slightly to his touch.

"You sure you still want to go cliff diving?" he growled playfully as he ruffled his fingers through my hair and brushed his check against my neck.

"Y-Yes," I stuttered, my heartbeat drumming an insane tempo.

"Okay then," he said and lifted me up by the waist and placed me back in the passenger's seat. Once he put the car in drive and started moving along the cliffs again, he grabbed my left hand with his right. He squeezed it gently.

Thirty-seconds later, Edward slowed the car and we were looking at a new set of cliffs, only faintly different from the one I jumped off before. It was still about the same height above the water, but its shape resembled more of a plateau on the top than the other. There was no pathway either leading to the edge.

"Will this cliff do?" he asked, smiling.

"Yeah, it's fine," I replied, elated.

I turned to the door, but Edward was already there, opening it for me. He grabbed me around my waist and lifted me out the car. He was still holding me, suspended in mid-air, when I gaped at how mesmerizing he was. Every exposed part of his skin was sparkling brilliantly in the sunshine. He was a crystal – a diamond – a rarity. Did I really deserve this? I stared at him, squinting at how bright and beautiful he was.

And he stared right back at me. His eyes were passionate and filled with a strange desire. He never looked away from my face as he started to walk towards the cliffs, with me still in his arms.

I blinked a couple of times and said unsteadily, "Hey – I can walk."

He ignored that and continued to carry me over to the cliffs.

"Edward – put me down," I said stubbornly.

He grinned. "I don't want you to trip."

I looked over at the plateau-like cliff edge. Before you reached the cliff, there was a small, rocky ridge line – however, it seemed traversable. I turned back to Edward. "It's not that rough – I can get through it without killing myself. Now, can you _please _put me down?"

Suddenly, I could feel the wind passing all around us and the cliff zoom into view. We stopped right at the edge. Edward turned to the side and set me down on my own two feet. I held my head in my hands. He didn't have to do that – I could have walked to the cliff on my own. We were only 25 feet away!

He was grinning when he turned to me and said, "There, you're on your feet again."

I shook my head as I unzipped my jacket and threw it to the side. Then I took off my sweat pants and sneakers. I shivered slightly as the wind blew against my now exposed skin.

"Are you ready?" I asked when I swiveled my head around to look at Edward. My mouth nearly dropped at the sight. He had removed his jacket and jeans, and, like me, tossed them over to the side. All he was wearing was a loose-fitting white T-shirt and a pair of blue swim trunks. But that was not what marveled me the most. The sunshine was glistening off his skin to the point that it was making me have to squint to actually look at him properly. My darn heart started to go crazy when he examined me from head to foot in my purple, one-piece bathing suit. His grin widened as he walked agilely towards me and put his arms around my waist.

"I knew I wouldn't want to miss you in a bathing suit," he said in his honey-sweet voice. He leaned in and murmured into my ear, "Simply stunning."

"If anyone's stunning," I said softly. "It's most definitely you."

He closed his eyes, still leaned in next to me, and kissed my neck.

"Edward," I said, using all the strength I had left in me not to attack him. "You're distracting me… We came here for a reason."

He laughed. "Oh, yes, to throw ourselves off a cliff. Almost forgot – you in a bathing suit distracted me," and he stepped back, smiling.

I gave him a look and then stepped over to the edge of the cliff. I looked down and paled at the sight. Was it really that high before? At least the surf did not appear as rough as before. Actually, it looked quite relaxing. No time to chicken out now. I craved the exhilaration and I was going to get it! I propped myself up on the balls of my feet and prepared for the jump when Edward grabbed me by the wrist – for the hundredth time.

"What are you doing Bella?" Edward said in an exasperated tone.

Now I was getting annoyed. "Are you going to let me jump of this cliff or not? Or did we just come all this way for nothing?"

He sighed and suddenly twirled me into his arms, my back against his firm body. Then he wrapped his arms around my chest, almost in a protective manner, and kissed the top of my head.

"Yes you will get to jump off the cliff, but I'm going to be right there by your side. And don't argue with me on this one – it's non-negotiable."

I could feel a minor blush on my cheeks as I said, "I don't mind."

"Good," and he began to walk us to the edge. "Are you ready?"

I nodded. "Ready when you are!"

"Okay then," he said. "One – two – three!"

And then we were rising into the air – for a second, I completely forgot about the cliff. We were flying away – leaving all our troubles behind us on little, planet Earth…

But before I could really enjoy the magic of flight, we were falling towards the ocean below. We were going so fast… it was wonderful. Again, I felt that same sensation all over me – that _exhilaration_. I was hearing the high-pitched scream of delight before I realized it was coming from me.

Then something surprised me. I could hear a lovely, song-like voice matching my pitch exactly. In the few seconds we had before we hit the water, I inclined my head towards Edward and saw that he had his eyes closed, that his bronze hair was flapping madly in the rushing wind, that his pale skin reflected the sun's light making us both shine, and that he, too, was screaming at the top of his lungs. I could feel his arms hug me tighter to his body, as he opened his golden eyes and looked directly back at me, both of us still yelling. At that moment, I remember myself thinking, that there was no one else in the whole world that mattered more to me. I could never again live without him – I would rather die.

I turned back towards the water, smiling to myself, and took in a deep breath just as we slammed into the water's surface. As quickly as it had begun, it ended.

I struggled trying to swim through the icy water, but something strong was holding me still. I opened my eyes and looked through the murkiness. I turned around and very nearly let all the air out of my mouth. Even the rays of sun that were filtering through the water bounced off his skin and made him sparkle. I was reminded of a disco ball when I looked at him. His powerful legs started to kick upward and in no time at all we broke the surface, gasping for air. Edward let go of me.

"Wow," I said, panting.

"I don't think 'wow' exactly covers what _I'm _feeling," I heard Edward say.

I turned my head from where I was swimming to the direction of his voice. He was only a few feet away, looking intently at me. The corners of his mouth turned upward as I began to swim towards him. In a flash, he disappeared from view. I gazed around in vain for him. I looked below me into the water and noticed a dark shape approaching me – fast.

Before I could yell, I was being lifted out of the water – shooting into the air like a bullet. Strong arms were holding me to an equally strong, muscular shape. Edward was cradling me against his body, arms wrapped around my back, his chin on my shoulder. He was growling playfully into my ear. I smiled and nuzzled his neck as we fell backwards and crashed once again into the water.

I swam to the top and inhaled deeply when I reached the surface. Edward had disappeared again.

"It's much more than 'wow', Bella," he murmured behind me. I twisted around to find him inches from my face.

"Much, much more…" he breathed and I could smell his delicious scent, as he leaned in and kissed me. I placed my hands around his neck while he put his around my waist and pulled me close. As soon as he sensed I needed air, he broke the kiss and backed up some ways.

"Hum, you need a new bathing suit," he said suddenly.

"What? I thought you liked this!" I narrowed my eyes at him.

He gave me that crooked grin of his. "Just because I said that you need a new bathing suit doesn't mean I don't like you in it. In fact, I nearly lost it when you took your jacket off on the cliff."

"Are you sure you aren't referring to me? I wanted to attack you when you took off your jacket!" I accused him.

His topaz eyes burned into mine. "Oh, I wanted to do more than just _attack _you, Bella."

I gulped and he laughed.

"Did I ever tell you that you look nice when your hair is wet?" I asked.

"No, but thank you," he said as he lowered himself into the water so that only his eyes were above the surface. He stared at me as he swam in my direction. He stopped in front of me and rose out of the water to level with my face. "Did I ever tell you that you're the most beautiful person to ever walk this Earth? And believe me when I say that – I'm seen _a lot_ of people."

I grinned and said, "You've hinted at that before. Thank you." I placed my hand on his shining face and said, "The same goes for you."

All of a sudden, his eyes had that strange burning desire in them again. He put his hand on top of mine and closed his eyes. "That feels so good," he sighed.

I released my hand and he furrowed his eyebrows at me. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Then – catch me," I said as I splashed him and took off towards the beach. This was hardly a game – I knew he was going to catch me in no time at all. But that didn't stop me from putting all my effort into my crawl stroke. I was smiling mischievously to myself, when I looked down at the water and my eyes widened as I saw the oddest thing in my life. Edward was smiling up at me underwater, his hands behind his head, his long legs kicking the water, keeping perfect time with me. I was about to yell when his arms reached around my back and dragged me under the surface with him – I barely took enough breath in time. I was again hugged against his body and together we were flying underwater like some sort of ghost. The water passed all around us in a wild blur. It was like when he ran through the forest, except this time there were no trees. He rose to the surface and I sucked in the oxygen around me.

"Wow – Edward, that was -," I gasped, "Amazing."

He will still holding me firmly to him when he whispered, "I win," into my ear.

"Cheater – humans get _at least_ a 20 minute start," I said, jokily.

He chuckled.

I reached my hand back behind me to touch his face, but he stiffened.

"Edward? What's -," but I never finished my sentence.

Edward was squeezing me against his chest to the point that I thought he might slice me in half. I followed his gaze to the distant shoreline and my mouth dropped at the sight. Along the beach stood the pack – Sam, Paul, Jared, Embry, and now Quil. In the back, Jacob stood, staring at his feet.

"Jacob!" I yelled. I tried uselessly to get out of Edward's grasp, but he didn't budge. I twisted my head around at Edward and hissed, "Let me go."

He ignored me. All his concentration was focused on them. He facial features were hardened and his jaw tightened.

Jacob was looking at me now and I could tell he was deliberating on whether he was going to jump in the water or not. I saw Sam shake his head and hold out his hand in front of him.

I could hear Edward behind me growling, but there was no humor in it this time. "Take a deep breath," he commanded.

"What?" I said.

"Bella, were going to swim a little closer to them okay? We're not leaving. It seems like all they want to do is talk. Now, don't argue with me. Take a deep breath!"

I inhaled deeply and pursed my lips. The next thing I knew, we were underwater, gliding through the water like a fish, heading towards the beach.

Edward broke the surface, still a few hundred yards away from the shoreline. I was able to touch the sand on the bottom and hear the roar of the crashing waves on the bank. He still held me securely against him.

Sam walked forward and before he even said anything, Edward snorted. "So you came to tell us about the treaty again?" he said.

Sam nodded. "You are in La Push territory now – these is _our_," and he gestured to the rest of the werewolves. "Grounds."

Jacob was looking at his feet again. He was shaking violently.

"We did not break the treaty though – no killings by us – nobody even _bitten_ by us," Edward noted coldly.

"I know that Jacob has discussed the treaty with you already," and Sam eyed Jacob for a second before he turned back to Edward and I. "But, I don't think that he has laid down the consequences of what will happen if you or someone of your family breaks the treaty."

"I am perfectly aware of the consequences," Edward replied.

"Yes, I'm sure you are, but is _she_?" and Sam inclined his head towards me.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was almost as if the last few months I spent with the pack meant absolutely nothing. Why couldn't we all just get along? Why was there this battle over territory and dumb treaties? I didn't understand it. I wanted to laugh with them all again in Emily's kitchen…

"_Bella_ -," Edward started, replying to Sam's question.

"Stop it!" I yelled and again struggled in Edward's impenetrable hold on me. "This isn't a war! Why can't we all just get along? I don't understand any of you!"

"It's more complicated than that," Sam answered back.

"No it's not!" I refused to believe that. "Jacob!" I turned to him. I could feel the tears swelling in my eyes. He lifted his head up slightly to look at me. "Jacob! I'm so sorry! Please don't be mad at me! Why don't you answer any of my damn phone calls? I miss you – I still want to be friends!" I yelled, on the verge of hysterics.

He facial features contorted into that of utter pain and then into firm resolve. "Bella – I don't think -," he began.

"Don't you dare say that!" I screamed. "You were, still are, and will forever be my best friend Jake!" and then the tears flowed freely from my eyes.

I could feel Edward's hand squeeze one of mine gently. I was still staring intently at Jacob, whose tremors were becoming more defined, his face full of sadness and distress.

The sun was disappearing behind an immense rain cloud. Edward no longer sparkled – he returned to his inhumanely pale form. I began to feel rain drizzles.

"Anyway," Sam said tentatively. "Do not come into La Push again. Next time, we won't let you off so easily – are we clear?"

"Crystal," Edward replied in a cutting tone.

"Let's go," Sam waved for the pack to follow him as they walked back along a path leading up the cliffs. Everyone took one last look at Edward and me before turning around and following Sam – except Jacob. He was still staring at us – indecision written all over his face.

"I want to see you smile again," I murmured to the air.

Although Edward and I were a good distance away from him, I could see the outline of tears streaming down his face. I could feel my heart ache. If Edward wasn't holding me tightly to him, I would have broken to pieces.

Jacob took one last look and turned forlornly back to his pack of brothers. The rain started to pour in heavy sheets around us.

Just as Alice predicated it.

-

Edward carried and placed me in the backseat of his Volvo. I was shivering from head to toe. He put both his jacket and my jacket over me. Then he crawled on top of me and held me close to him.

"Bella…" he whispered.

I could feel the tears slide down my cheeks. "He hates me."

"Nobody hates you – I've told you this before."

"Why – can't – we – just – all – get – along?" I stammered between little gasps of air. I was really making an idiot of myself.

He shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, that's not always how things work." He wiped the tears from my cheeks with his thumb.

"Edward -," I rolled around to face him. "You seemed very surprised to see them there."

"That's because I was," he replied.

I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"I couldn't hear any of their thoughts, for some reason -," I could feel his jaw tighten. "Until they were on the shoreline."

I thought about that for a moment and my mind remembered Alice not being able to see the futures of the werewolves. She never saw Jacob pull me out of the water when I went cliff diving the first time…

"Edward," I said softly. "I think when they are wolves, they are immune to your gift. Not just yours in particular. Anyone's. Alice can't even predict their futures."

"I was thinking the same thing," he said. "I'm pretty sure they started running in this direction when they realized we were here. Then they stopped at the beach and changed back into their human form…"

"Oh," I mumbled. I was staring into Edward's topaz eyes and I could feel the pain in my chest ease away. I leaned in and kissed his neck – still wet from being in the water.

He smiled lovingly at me. He was leaning in to kiss my nose when an alarm sounded in my head.

"Oh – _SHIT_!" I shrieked.

Edward paused in mid-air. "What's the matter?"

"Charlie! I have to get back home before he catches me!"

His eyes widened at this realization as he leaped off me and slid gracefully into the driver's seat. Before I knew what was happening, the car was flying down the road, nearing 100 miles per hour already. The houses and stores in La Push passed by in a frenzy as we sped, like the maniacs we were, back into Forks.

-

The Volvo slammed to a stop right in front of my house. I nearly fell off the back seat but Edward's hand caught me in the air.

"Quick! Put your jacket and pants back on! Charlie's coming down the street!"

I fought with my stupid sweat pants as I tried to pull them up over my wet skin. When I managed that, I slipped my jacket on over my shoulders. Edward was already opening the side door and pulling me out when I pulled the zipper up.

He carried me to the front porch and set me down.

"Just tell Charlie – oh, I don't know, you came out to enjoy the rain? Your wet all over," he shook his head.

I grabbed his hand. "Are you going to come back tonight?"

"Yes, but later than usual. I have to talk to my family about what's going on in La Push."

"Just as long as you promise to come back," I stared fiercely into his eyes.

He stared just as fiercely back at me. "I promise," and he tilted my chin up towards him and kissed me passionately on the lips. Before I could wrap my hands around him, he was in his Volvo and speeding around the corner.

In the distance, I saw a flash of lightning and heard a loud clap of thunder. The rain was thick and drenching my already cold, wet body to the point of complete saturation.

I heard Charlie's cop car pull into the driveway before I actually saw him. Even though he was here and I couldn't help but feel completely and utterly –

Alone.

-----

_**AN: **This was the original inspiration I got for writing my own fan-fiction – with Bella and Edward falling toward the ocean and screaming together – just to let you know. _

_I'm hoping not to get any comments by people after reading this saying, "Oh, I hope you kill Jacob later!" because if I do, I swear I will hunt you down and knock you upside the head silly! _

_Other than that, hope you enjoyed. Have a nice day. :)_


	4. Multiple Personalities

_**Author's Note: **In all honesty, I had no clue what I was going to do after I got to Chapter 3 (which was my initial inspiration for writing a fan-fiction) and I started thinking to myself what was going to happen next while I was working on a 76 question worksheet for my AP class (oh-my-god – children, take my advice and avoid these classes. They are absolute hell!) when I got a few ideas float into my head. So, here I am, about to start a fan-fiction while procrastinating homework (hey, what can I say – sometimes you get your best inspirations while procrastinating!). Anyway, this chapter is a bit unorthodox because it is written from the point-of-view of several characters (that was my inspiration – "What if this was written by…?") and hopefully it will give you guys some hints about where I'm going to go with this. The one chapter that I figured I was going to write after Chapter 3 will be after this chapter instead. Can't wait to write that one. grins to herself_

_By the way, a huge thank you goes out to my sister who is a terrific artist! She likes my fan-fiction so much that she actually drew a scene from it for me and posted it on Deviantart! It is when Edward and Bella were jumping off the cliff. If you'd like to view, go to this link: http ://www .deviantart .com /deviation/ 49424031/ (make sure you get rid of the spaces!). Thanks sis:)_

_Also, thank you guys for the lovely reviews!! Honestly, I don't know if you guys understand how important and motivational reviews can be. They encourage people to keep writing! So thank you again! I will continue to do my best to please!_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not hold any rights to _Twilight _or _New Moon_. Those rights are reserved to Stephenie Meyer and Stephenie Meyer alone._

**Multiple Personalities**

**Bella Swan – "Ponderings"**

**(After cliff diving with Edward – she is standing outside in the rain)**

"Bella, what are you doing out in the rain? You're soaked!"

I was looking up the sky and didn't realize that Charlie had already gotten out of his cop car and was standing next to me on the porch. Oh shoot – what was I going to tell Charlie?

"Uh – well, I was inside all day Dad," I replied weakly. "I was coming outside to enjoy the sun when it just started to pour down rain!" I ended the last part with an exasperated edge to my voice.

Charlie stared at me, scrutinizing my face. I prayed that I wasn't flushing – it would indicate immediately that I was lying.

"Okay – so why didn't you just go back inside when it started to rain?"

"Because…" Great. What should I say? "The rain felt wonderful. It was almost like standing in a huge shower. Besides, I just really wanted the fresh air after being cooped up all day doing homework," I said, smiling feebly.

Charlie shook his head. "Bella, you are one of the strangest people to walk this Earth – do you know that?"

My grin widened. Ah – if only he knew.

"Did you catch a lot of fish? How did it go with Billy?" I asked, switching the topic.

Charlie smiled half-heartedly. "Ah, it went okay. Billy was happy to get a chance to talk," he paused and looked at me for a second. I could only imagine what those two talked about. Then he continued, "We caught a reasonable amount of fish. In fact, let me go get the fish out of the trunk – I'm going to put them in the freezer."

Good – a chance to escape. I turned toward the front door and twisted the doorknob. Then I remembered that I had locked it right before Edward and I went cliff diving. Thank goodness Charlie wasn't there to see me take the key out of my jacket pocket and open the door – he would have suspected why the door was locked in the first place if I was just coming out to enjoy a little "fresh air".

I zipped up the steps to my bedroom once I got inside. When I got there, I shut my door and locked it. I didn't want to deal with Charlie right now.

I stripped out of my wet clothes and threw them into a laundry basket located in the corner of the room. Afterwards, I grabbed a pair of pajamas out of my closet and slipped them on. Although I was out of my wet linens, I was shivering from head to toe – and it was not just because I was cold either. I sank into my bed and thought about the day.

So – I went cliff diving with Edward. It was fantastic. More than that even. So where did it go all wrong? Why did my heart feel so empty?

I hugged my knees to my body and my head hit the pillow. I knew why – it was Jacob. I couldn't handle seeing him so hurt – so _tortured_ like that. What was worse was that I didn't know how to help him. I could never return the love he wanted from me. But I still wanted to see him – I still wanted to be his friend. Does he know that he was my safe harbor – the only one I could relate to when Edward had disappeared from my life?

Then there is that stupid treaty that everyone keeps bickering about. Why can't anyone put that behind them? The Cullen's pay little attention to its provisions, but it seems to run the entire packs operations. If that treaty wasn't in play, would it be possible that none of this could be happening? Would I still be able to see the pack of wolves even though I was associated with a pack of vampires as well?

I could feel the tears coming down my eyes and sliding down my cheeks onto my pillow. I was thinking to myself, _Jacob, Jacob, Jacob – I wish you were here. _Then something floated to my mind – something that I remembered Edward saying before I confronted Charlie about the whole motorcycle thing.

"I'm here," he had told me.

My heart swelled so much at the moment that I thought it might burst out of my rib cage. He was right. At least I had him, the one I loved for the rest of my days. No matter what troubles encountered me in my life, I knew I would always have him by my side. The flow of tears ceased and then I could feel a weariness overwhelm me before I lost consciousness.

-

**Jacob Black – "Tortured"**

**(Right after talking with Edward and Bella in La Push – he is with the pack)**

I honestly hate my life. How could things have gone so completely wrong? I was once a happy kid; I had everything I could ask for. But now I was walking – no, sorry – _running _is more like it – with the rest of the pack back to Emily's house. I was using all my strength to block out the thoughts of Embry, Quil, Jared, Paul, and Sam. Embry was getting on my last nerve too – every so often I could hear him trying to console me. Like that was going to change the situation – I was infuriated as it was without him making it one hundred times worse. No one understood the pain I was experiencing – not even Sam.

Sam was ahead of the five of us, leading the pack back to Emily's house. The trees were moving around us in a wild blur, but I barely noticed it at all. Running had become second nature to me – I loved the speed more than anything. Other than that, I despised what I was, almost as much I despised _them_.

Sam began to slow down. He started to shimmer back into his human form and the rest of us followed suit. I was glad to be back to normal – able to think freely without the others bothering the shit out of me.

We walked into Emily's small home. The moment we entered the little hut, the smell of biscuits, fried chicken, mash potatoes, gravy, lima beans, and a variety of other scents overpowered us. Emily was working furiously over one of the pots in the kitchen. She didn't acknowledge any of us when we walked in and sat around the little round table in the middle of the kitchen. All she did was sigh and place a heaping basket of biscuits in front of us. Jared, Embry, Paul, and Quil attacked the basket like it was their last meal. I probably would have been joining them, but tonight I was far from hungry.

Sam, of course, walked around to Emily at the stove and kissed her dismantled face. She smiled and stopped working to pull him into a huge embrace. I tried hard not to puke on the spot. I didn't know how much more I was going to be able to take of all this lovey-dovey romantic stuff.

I leaned against the wall that hid me from view of everyone else. I watched them all without really comprehending what was taking place. All I could see was the events of today flash before my eyes over and over again. It was sickening to look at. The way that blood-sucker was all over her… My hands clenched into fists.

Then there was Bella. How could she possibly stand to be around him for so long? Why isn't she afraid? Why is _he_ so special?

I couldn't answer those questions.

What was worse though was the fact that I knew that there was a part of Bella who liked me too, just not as much as the blood-sucker. She wanted to see me and I wanted so badly to oblige. But that's out of the question. I couldn't lose my temper in front of _him_. I might kill him – on accident. I could never do that to Bella – I wouldn't be able to stand to see her so hurt… like today. I felt like pulling my hair out, remembering that stupid promise I made that I would always be there for her – no matter what, she could always count on me. Who ever knew that promise could be so unbelievably hard to keep?

Emily placed a bucket of fried chicken in the middle of the table and Jared was about to grab a thigh when Embry stopped him.

"Hey, betcha five bucks I could eat more chicken than you," Embry sneered.

"Well, if you wanna lose that badly, you're on!" Jared pulled the thigh up to his mouth when Emily whacked him on the head.

"Boys! Leave some for everyone else!" and she gave them a stern look.

"Ah, c'mon," Jared complained. "Embry made the bet – plus it's not as if Jake's going to eat anyway." Jared shook his head.

"Hmm," Emily's gaze flickered to me and then over to Sam. "How did it go today?"

Sam shook his head. "I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up. I don't think the Cullen's realize what they are doing to the girl."

"_Bella_," I corrected bitingly.

Sam turned his head to me. "Jake, you have to learn to let that girl go."

I was shaking by this time but I didn't say anything.

"The treaty – I think both sides have broken it," Sam continued unhappily. "The girl knows both of our side's secrets. Plus, they have crossed our boundary line and we have crossed theirs. We've even killed on their territory. One more false move and we could actually find ourselves looking at a war. We need to prevent this…" Suddenly, Sam's eyes brightened and he was looking at me speculatively again.

"What?" I asked coldly. I was in no mood to be fooled around with.

"I think I know a way to solve this crisis – to prevent a war that is sure to come… if, what you told us last time Jacob does indeed come true…"

I shuddered. It was horrible to think about. It was even worse to talk about it – I could feel my whole body vibrating just with Sam mentioning it.

"If she is turned, Jacob, you know war is inevitable. We must prevent that from happening," Sam said quietly.

The tremors along my body were becoming more definite. The thought of Bella being a blood-sucker, just like _them_ – it was unbearable. She would be nothing like the Bella I knew – the one I fell in love with. Just a cold, rock-like imitation of her former self. The light would forever be gone from her…

"Jacob, now, I want you to relax before I tell you what I propose we do," Sam said soothingly.

"Just spit it out Sam," I said, trying desperately to control my shaking body.

He eyed me for a second and said very slowly, almost like he was talking to some sort of child, "I think, it is wise, that we – _take_ Bella and hide her from her friends."

My eyes widened and it was extremely difficult for me to stay in my human form. I wanted to so badly to smash Sam into a wall and make him take back those words.

"Are you proposing," I said, my voice cracking. "That we _kidnap_ Bella?"

"What other choice do we have Jacob?" Sam said. "I don't want to start a war over just one girl. This treaty is binding – so even if she _agrees _to be changed, the treaty would still be broken. After that, we would be bound to protect this whole area from any blood-sucker – including her. Jacob, I don't want that to happen anymore than you do. You need to step back and look at the whole picture – we are the _protectors_. We could protect her from that fate and keep her safe. She'll thank us for that later – even though she might not like it at the beginning. If you truly do love this girl, Jake, then you know I'm right…"

"I can't believe what you are saying!" I covered my ears with my hands.

"Hey, Sam, I'll do it – I'll get the girl," Paul said, smiling mischievously.

I shot Paul a death glare.

"No, Jacob would have to do it," Sam said simply.

Paul's mouth dropped open. "What? I've been part of this pack longer than he has!"

"True, but you don't have nearly the self-restraint that Jacob does. If that one blood-sucker is with the girl, you would be concerned little about her safety and more about ripping him to shreds."

"The hell I would!" Paul shouted angrily.

"You see, Jacob loves this girl. Plus, he can control his anger better if it means her safety. He could do this better than any of us. And I know, more than anything, that he wants to protect her," Sam said, staring hard at me.

"I – can't," I muttered, closing my eyes and trying to relax myself. "One of the blood-suckers can read minds – another one can see the future."

"Hum," Sam said. "I'm pretty confident you could pull it off though. I think, because of what we are – we can work around those gifts. You can do it."

I was squeezing the kitchen counter so hard with my hand that I was sure I was creating a dent in it. "No, Sam, I can't." And I bolted out the back door. As soon as I hit the darkness of the woods, my body began to split apart. Brown fur erupted all over me and I was crouching over, running like mad through the woods.

I wanted to escape that sad realization. I could never do that to Bella. But at the same time, Sam was absolutely right. He was always right. If there was anything I was sure about in my life, it was one thing – protecting Bella _at all costs_.

My legs slowed to a stop when I was a good ways into the forest. It was nightfall, and I was beginning to see the shine of stars overhead. On any other night, I might have taken the opportunity to enjoy them, to look at the constellations and reflect on better times. Today was not one of those days.

I curled into a ball on the forest floor and began to whimper slightly. Yeah – I truly hated my life.

Suddenly, something caught my attention. I stood up and sniffed the air and sure enough, I was able to catch it again. It was a scent – and not just _any _scent. It was the scent of a _blood-sucker_. I continued to sniff the air. Although the smell was extremely faint, it was still there. However, I was positive the scent didn't belong to any of the Cullen's. There was an edge to it; a potency quite unlike their smell. Before I realized what I was doing, I was racing back to Emily's at top speed. I needed to tell the other's of this. I _am _going to protect Bella.

-

**Alice Cullen – "A Vision"**

**(At the Cullen home right before Edward returns from cliff diving with Bella)**

"Jasper, just do it," I muttered exasperated.

"I can't believe you are making me do this," Jasper said, shaking his head in a defeated manner.

The three of us, Emmett, Jasper, and I, were standing in the living room. Esme was out in the front, doing some repair work to the porch (she loves fixing up homes), Rosalie was in the garage tinkering with a few of the cars, and Carlisle was at the hospital. Jasper and I were about to experiment with a few things – Emmett was just bored and sat down, watching us. Edward still wasn't back from cliff diving with Bella and I was anxious to see how it went. I did see them jump off the cliff but I wasn't able to get anything from there on. Hopefully that meant they were having a good time…

So, in order to pass the time, I was going to have my own little fun.

"Okay. One – two – three!" Jasper lifted me up by the waist and then placed both my feet on the palm of his hand, balancing me in mid-air. Emmett was examining the spectacle from his seat on the leather couch in front of us.

"This would be so much more interesting if Bella was over here," he said. "Alice, don't you know when Charlie is going to let her visit again? She is such comic relief."

I gave him a look and said, "Not sure when exactly, but I'm pretty sure around graduation time. Charlie has been changing his mind a lot," I looked back at Jasper below me and smiled. "Okay, now lift me up a little bit higher and then I'm going to do it."

He frowned and furrowed his eyebrows at me. "Alice, sometimes you are so insufferable."

My grinned widened. "I know."

He lifted me higher and I was getting close to hitting the ceiling. Emmett continued to eye me as I raised one foot out of Jasper's hand and extended it into the air behind me. I was balancing on one foot now and took a deep breath as I prepared myself for my next feat. I straightened out the foot that was in Jasper's palm so that I was on my toes. Another breath and I was lifting myself on the tip of my big toe…

Then it happened. Somehow, it _always _seems to happen at the inopportune moment. Pictures were flashing before my eyes as I staggered on Jasper's hand and started to fall backwards. My eyes widened as I watched what has yet to happen.

Jasper caught me in his arms, concern written all over his face. I could hear in the distance Emmett's booming laugh and something along the lines of, "Now, _that's _entertainment!" But I was paying little attention to what he was saying. All my concentration was focused on what was playing before my eyes in a mad array of still and moving photographs. I was gasping for air when it was all over.

"Alice, Alice!" Jasper was shaking me. I looked around and noticed I was lying on the couch now. I didn't even remember him placing me there.

"Jasper," I breathed and I clinged onto his shirt.

"Alice? What did you see?" he said uneasily. I looked past Jasper and saw Emmett standing over him. There was no humor set to his features anymore.

"Jasper – get me a sheet of paper and a pen – quick," I murmured.

Emmett was one step ahead. He held them out for me and I snatched them out of his hands. I started to work feverishly over the paper. Jasper and Emmett eyed me warily throughout the whole process. Two minutes later, I dropped the pen and paper on the floor and curled up into a ball on the couch. I couldn't help myself. I started to sob ever so slightly. Jasper picked me up and held me close to his body while Emmett bent down and snatched the pad of paper turned over on the floor. His eyes widened as he gaped at my drawing. Jasper leaned over and took a peek at the drawing and delivered the same reaction.

"Alice – this doesn't look good," Emmett said shakily. "Who – who are the people in this picture?"

I ignored him and said, "What am I going to tell Edward?"

-

**Edward Cullen – "Decision Time"**

**(In his Volvo, driving home after cliff diving with Bella)**

I was staring at the road without really seeing it. I knew this route like the back of my hand. I've driven it so many times I could do it blind-folded.

My mind, however, was not as calm as the gently curving road I was careening along.

I was frustrated. I was annoyed. I was worried. I was all of these at once.

The Quileute wolves were getting on my last nerve. They were constantly barging in to talk about that treaty. We know the terms and we know the consequences. Couldn't they just leave it at that? My hands gripped tighter around the steering wheel. What was even more infuriating was the fact that I could not hear their thoughts when they are wolves. If I knew that they were heading our way at the cliff, I would have gotten Bella out of there in no time flat. Instead, she saw that boy again and is most likely at home now, tearing herself to pieces. I closed my eyes and clasped the bridge of my nose with my right hand. She's probably blaming herself for everything. How could she possibly even think that? She was perfect in every way – except at her uncanny knack at attracting danger. I sighed and sped up a little more.

My eyes involuntarily landed on the glove compartment in front of the passenger seat. I knew what was in there but I was saving it for the right moment. My hand reached over and tentatively opened the compartment. Inside, I grabbed the little velvet black box and placed it quickly into my jacket pocket. I didn't want to forget about it. I grinned at that thought – like I _could _forget about it. It was on my mind 24/7 ever since I bought the thing.

The trees were rushing past on either side of me. I saw the small clearing ahead and then the white mansion zoom into view. I pulled up to the front porch and parked. I didn't bother putting the car in the garage. I wasn't planning on staying long.

I opened the driver's side door of the car, closed it, and then rushed over to our entrance door. As soon as I was inside, I was greeted by the loud, throbbing sound of several voices thinkingat once. I put my hand around my forehead and looked up at Esme, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper staring back at me with the strangest looks on their faces. I tried in vain to organize their thoughts in my mind, but I couldn't make anything out. Alice turned and stared hard at everyone around her. Suddenly, the thoughts died down and I was getting something more definite and prominent – I began to _see _something more definite and prominent.

"Edward," Alice said slowly. "Victoria's back."

But I barely heard her. I was out the door and back in my Volvo faster than one could blink.

What I saw – I blanched at the sight. I was visibly shaking – I couldn't even get a good hold on the steering wheel.

… What I saw was Bella being strapped to a chair by a group of others. She had scraps and bruises all over her…

And behind her, I saw myself – being held back by another group…

To watch Victoria kill her.

-----

_**AN: **Whoa, okay. Glad I got that out of my system. I love writing from the point-of-view of the other characters. That was interesting. Sorry this chapter isn't as long as the others. It's more of an explanation chapter really. Anyway, I'm pretty sure the next one is going to be longer so don't fret! Hope you enjoyed!_


	5. An Illness

_**Author's Note: **Ahh! It's the last day of mid-winter break! (sobs) Because of that, I don't know how fast I'm going to be updating anymore… Sorry!! I'm usually over-loaded with homework during the weekdays because of the classes I'm taking (I hate AP). Anyway, this is the chapter I got inspiration for awhile ago but I didn't know how I was going to work it into the storyline. Haha! I fixed that, and now I get to write it! Yay! Oh, yes, and before I forget, this is written from Bella's perspective again so you don't get confused. _

_Like I've said multiple times before, I love your reviews and without them, I probably wouldn't be up until three in the morning writing chapters for you guys (for some odd reason, I always get the urge to write in the middle of the night – that's going to change when I go back to school tomorrow – ick). I'd also like to thank my sister, who's constant encouragement (did you see the picture she drew for my fan-fiction?) and bugging convinced me to post my story on fan-fiction. "The Typical Night" was just something I did for fun initially – I was too embarrassed to let anyone other than my sis read it. But, now it's up for everyone to see… You see what she does to me? XD Anyway, on with the show!_

**An Illness**

He twisted his hand into mine and pulled me forward. My heart was racing as he pushed back the loose strands of my brown hair behind my ear. Then he leaned in close and brushed his cold lips against my neck…

"Are we almost there?" I stuttered as he kissed the crevice behind my ear.

He straightened and looked ahead through the brush and undergrowth we were traversing along. We were surrounded by a thick, beautiful, green forest that was only vaguely familiarly to me. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that today wasn't sunny, but I could handle it. Honestly, I could handle anything as long as he was by my side.

"Yes, we're almost there," and he gave me my favorite crooked smile.

I looked at my feet to make sure I wouldn't have a klutz moment. He squeezed my hand, almost as an assurance that he wouldn't let that happen to me. I smiled to myself and looked up. The trees and plants were clearing – I was beginning to see the faint outline of the opening ahead.

"We're here," he said softly as he picked me up and rushed forward excitingly.

Before I knew what was happening, we were standing in the middle of a wide, open field.

Our meadow.

He placed me back on my feet and I stared around me at this miraculous place. It was springtime, and the flowers were sprouting up around us in a wonderful display of colors. The tall grasses whispered when the wind blew against them and I could hear the gentle sound of the flowing stream somewhere in the distance. It was like we were in a painting – it was magical. Even when he was gone, this place was magical, although in a different way. But now that he was back, the place held significance to me again. I inhaled deeply and was greeted by the sweet scent of flowers. He twirled me into his arms and held me securely against his smooth body. I closed my eyes and laid my head on his chest, sighing happily. But then I could hear a growling behind me and his whole body tensed. I opened my eyes and looked up at my angel's face, contorted into that of rage.

"Hey – what's the matter?"

Then I could hear the soft rustle of leaves over to my left and I twisted my head in that direction. There I saw a huge, towering figure, with light brown skin and dark, short hair. His brown eyes rested on mine and I felt my heart swell. I was so happy to see him. I was trying in vain to wiggle out of my angel's arms, but he wasn't having it. The other figure began to walk towards the two of us, a hard set to his features.

"Let go of her," he said roughly. I gaped at him. What was going on?

"No," and my angel was snarling fiercely now. He obviously knew something that I didn't.

"If you don't, I'm going to have to _force_ you to," the other growled back. He was trembling from head to toe.

"Try me."

Suddenly, I was being pulled backwards as the other figure literally exploded. His body ripped apart in front of my eyes and in its place was a giant, russet colored wolf. It parted its lips and a horrible, spine-tingling roar emitted from its mouth.

Behind me, my angel delivered an equally terrifying snarl. He was baring his teeth to reveal the razor-sharp points that were his incisors. He let go of me and pushed me behind his back. His body leaned forward, in a protective stance.

"Bella!" a beautiful, music-like voice yelled in the distance. My eyes widened at its sound – I became very confused.

The reddish-brown wolf continued to growl while my angel tensed and met the growls with more hissing and snarls.

"Bella, Bella!" the voice continued to scream in agony.

The two mythical creatures in front of me crouched forward, preparing for a fight. Tears began to stream down my face as I watched the two sprint toward each other.

"No!! Stop!! NO!!" I shrieked as I watched with horror Edward and Jacob tear each other to pieces.

"Bella! Bella! Bella! It's okay!! Bella!" the voice was becoming more distinct now, but all I could feel was the pain washing over me as I hit the forest floor…

And opened my eyes.

-

"Bella! Bella! Wake up!" Edward's face was inches from mine. He was shaking me awake. He was also trembling from head to toe.

"Edward?" I said in a weak voice. As my vision regained focus, I noticed that my quilt was lying on the floor next to the bed and that Edward was on top of me, his cool body aligned with every contour of mine. Suddenly, I could feel that my body was on fire; beads of sweat were dripping down the back of my neck. Then I realized that Edward had not changed clothes since we went cliff diving. He was still in his white T-shirt and blue swim trunks which were both faintly damp. His jacket was thrown on the floor next to my quilt.

"Bella," his voice quavered. He closed his eyes and placed his head by my neck. I could feel his arms slip under my back and pull me closer to his body. He was still shaking.

"Oh Edward… I'm sorry!" I said as I put my hand on his face. He must have heard me talking during that dream. His topaz eyes opened and looked directly back at me. I could tell immediately something was bothering him. They were full of concern and worry.

"You don't have to be sorry about anything," he murmured. His face looked pained as he said slowly, "What, exactly, were you dreaming about?"

I took a breath and he eyed me warily.

"It was nothing, really…" I didn't want to worry him anymore.

"Bella, you were screaming," he said quietly.

I looked at my bricked over window and dropped my hand from Edward's face. "We were in the meadow… and then Jacob showed up…" I could feel the tears threatening to fall from my eyes in a deluge. "He – changed into a wolf – and the two of you…" I couldn't hold the tears back anymore. They were flowing from my eyes freely by this time.

Edward was staring back at me – his brow furrowed into a line of worry. He leaned in and kissed the tears off of my checks. "You can stop. I think I understand what happened from there. It certainly explains the 'No – stop!' you were yelling…"

Abruptly, my head started to throb painfully. I felt horrible all over. I reached over on the nightstand beside me, grabbed a tissue from the Kleenex box, and blew my nose like there was no tomorrow.

"Crap," I mumbled when I was done. I glanced back at Edward. He looked like he was going to fall to pieces.

"Oh no," he moaned. "You're sick."

"It's not that bad – honestly." But then I reached back quickly and grabbed another tissue. I sneezed into it just in the knick of time. I smiled hesitantly back at Edward. He continued to gaze at me; his features had a sort of tortured set to them.

"Edward, it's nothing! I'll get over it!"

"I shouldn't have taken you cliff diving yesterday," he muttered, more to himself. "Now you're sick and…" he stopped short.

"Something is bothering you – now tell me what's wrong!" I said irritably.

He stared hard at me and opened his mouth to say something, when his eyes opened wide and he jerked towards my doorway. He said something angrily under his breath – I knew it was something profane – and before I knew it, he was gone. His jacket had disappeared from the floor.

Charlie walked into my room and was staring back at me with anxious eyes.

"Bella? Are you alright?" he asked nervously.

"Oh, Dad, I'm so sorry!" I said sincerely. "I had a nightmare – I hope I didn't scare you."

"'Scare' doesn't quite cover it," he said. "I thought you stopped having those dreams ever since – _he _came back," he said the last part with an edge to his voice.

I sighed. "Yeah – I did. This was a different dream though. This was a real nightmare – something that every human being gets once in a while…"

Charlie still looked concerned. "I would have come in here to wake you up Bells, but the phone rang. It was the station – it seems that a hiker has gone missing," he said bitterly.

I couldn't stop myself. "W – what?" I gasped.

"Yeah – I know honey. We think the wolves are back too. I'm going in to help with the search and then to check up on old missing cases to look for similarities. This means I'm going to be gone almost the entire day – _please_, Bella, don't do anything stupid. That includes going outside. You look horrible," he said, eyeing my tangled hair and my quilt lying on the floor.

"Dad, don't go," I choked. I knew why that hiker was missing. "It's too dangerous."

"Honey, it's my job. I'll be fine, don't you worry. I know you had a run in with those wolves once, but I promise it'll be okay."

"No, Dad, don't!" I nearly shrieked.

"Look, take care of yourself. Bella – are you sick? You shouldn't have been standing out in the rain like that yesterday," he shook his head and walked out the door.

I was about to follow him – beg him to stay home, when something swooped me up and slammed into the corner where my bed hits the wall. Edward was sitting cross-legged on my bed and cradling me in his arms.

"Edward!" I hissed, struggling to get up. "I need to stop Charlie!"

But he didn't budge – he only strengthened his hold on me. It was pointless effort on my part.

"The only thing I'm concerned about is you," he whispered into my hair.

"Look! I'm right here and I'm fine! If Charlie is going to go out into the forest -"

"Charlie is going to be fine. Bella, please, just stay here," he said pleadingly.

I turned my head in his direction and eyed him. Anxiety was written all over his face.

"Edward – what exactly did you talk with your family about last night? Is – is Victoria back?" I wavered slightly.

He closed his eyes and nodded.

"What? I thought she was gone for good!"

"So did I," he breathed. Something else besides Victoria's return was getting to him.

"And?" I interrogated.

"And what?" he turned and stared hard at me.

"And – what else is getting on your nerves?"

He looked at me unblinkingly and didn't answer my question.

"Look – something else is bothering you. If I knew any better, you would," my voice cracked somewhat as I continued, "probably be out there hunting Victoria with Emmett and Jasper coming along to join in the fun. Honestly, I'm much happier that you're here instead of doing something idiotic like that, but tell me – why?"

"I don't want to break my promise," he said simply.

"Promise?"

"That I would never leave you," he murmured into my ear. He kissed my neck.

My heart went crazy but I pressed on, "There's more to it than that."

"Maybe – maybe not," he said and his hands started to run up along my stomach. My shirt started to rise up with his hands and all of a sudden I felt unbelievably dirty. I jerked in his arms, grabbed another tissue from my nightstand, and blew my nose into it. No, I felt _disgusting_.

"Fine, Edward," I said hotly when I was done. "If you're not going to tell me, I'm going to take a shower. Please, let me go."

He loosened his arms slightly, but didn't release me. I turned to him scowling. He scowled just as fiercely back at me. "Bella, I'd rather have you stay close to me for today."

My heart fluttered at the prospect of an entire day of being with Edward. But I was filthy. I wanted that shower.

"Okay, Edward, I'll consent to your demands if you let me go and take a shower first," I said exasperatedly. "Please," I added for effect.

He let go of me and I crawled off my bed and headed to my closet. I turned to look at him and he had his arms crossed around his chest, watching me intently. I sighed and pulled out a change of comfortable clothes and headed for the bathroom.

Once I was inside, I locked the door and undressed. I turned the nozzle on the shower to start the water flowing. I crossed the room, eyeing the pack of tampons on my way. Should I risk trying another one? The last one certainly went well…

Five minutes later, I was stepping into the shower, the hot water slamming against my body, soothing every portion of my exposed skin. I was utterly amazed at my luck at successfully getting in another tampon. Perhaps they weren't so bad, once you got used to them. I bit my tongue. I knew that was going to come back and bite me in the bottom.

I was about to apply some body wash to a sponge when I heard something click outside of the shower. I froze. I'm pretty sure I locked the door – it's probably nothing. But then I saw a shadow walk swiftly on the other side of the pale-blue shower curtain and I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my system. Oh – God. It was Victoria! I was going to end up like that lady in "Psycho" – the curtain was going to be pulled back any second now and then I was going to be murdered, butt-naked in the shower.

"Bella?"

"AHHHHHHHH!" I shrieked and then I slipped as I moved backwards from the sound, clutching my neck. My butt hit the bottom of the shower first and my head snapped back and hit the nozzles that controlled the temperature.

"Bella?! Bella!"

I opened my shut eyes and saw a pale hand clutching the side of the shower curtain, about to yank it open.

"No! Stop!" I hissed furiously. I was rubbing the back of my head with my hands, examining it to make sure there wasn't any blood. So far, so good. My toes were intertwining between each other as I leaned forward, trying desperately to ignore the pain that was flowing from my bottom side and from my head. "Edward, what are you doing in here?"

But he didn't answer. Suddenly, something hit me in the face and dropped into my lap. I examined it and realized that it was the bottom half of a bikini – my _only _bikini. I completely forgot I even owned one. It was probably something my mom had bought for me on one of her shopping sprees – that and those Victoria Secret pajama's that I conveniently left in Phoenix. I looked up through the water droplets to see Edward's hand throw the top half of the cornflower blue swim suit over the curtain.

"Put it on."

"No!" I said stubbornly. I couldn't believe this. Does he think I can't take a shower on my own? "What the _hell _are you doing in here? Get out!"

Even though I could only see his shadow on the other side of the shower curtain, I could tell he was smiling to himself.

"Fine," he said simply. "If you don't put it on, I'm coming in anyway," and his hand was back on the shower curtain.

"No!" I yelled as I started to slip the bottom half of the bikini over my legs and up around my butt. I wiggled my way into it even though I was lying, full body, on my back in the bottom of the shower. When I was done with that, I struggled getting the top part on, cursing my mom for buying me something with a low, cleavage-showing cut.

"Done?" Edward asked, an amused tone to his voice.

Before I could answer, the shower curtain flew open and Edward was stepping into the shower. I was still lying awkwardly on the floor, my knees bent upward, when I gaped up at him. He pulled the curtain shut behind him and looked down at me. Then he squat down to my level and put his arms on his knees. All he was wearing was his swim trunks this time – no white T-shirt. He had that desire in his eyes again as he stared at me, smiling broadly.

"I like you much better in that bathing suit," he said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Well, you're not going to enjoy it for long, because I'm getting out," and I grabbed one of the shower nozzles for support so that I could push myself up onto my feet. I was about to open the curtain when Edward's hand grabbed me firmly by the arm. He was chuckling darkly when I turned back to him.

"No you're not," he said, smiling maliciously.

"Have you ever heard of privacy?" I asked bitterly.

"Well, you're the one who wanted to shower. I need one too, so I thought it would be nice if we took one together. Do you mind?"

I was staring at him and his eyes were doing that unfair smoldering thing. My hand dropped off the shower curtain as I relented.

"Fine," I grumbled.

"Good," he said. He let go of my arm and bent down to pick up the sponge that I was going to use. "Would you like me to wash your back?" he grinned.

My mouth dropped slightly when my mind was actually able to process the situation. Here I was, in the shower – with Edward. And he wanted to wash my back. My heart started to beat wildly and I was sure he was able to hear it because his grin widened. I shook my head and his smile disappeared.

"No?" he said, obviously disheartened.

"No – I mean – not to that question," I stammered. I was playing the idiot again, not making much sense.

He cocked his head to the side, clearly trying to discern what was going through my head.

"What I mean is, Edward," I sighed. "Really, why are you in here?"

"I told you – I need to take a shower…"

"No, _I _need to take a shower," I corrected, staring hard at him.

Before I knew it, I was slammed against the tiled wall, Edward's body pressed tightly against mine. The water from the facet was falling directly on his back now, wetting his hair. He clasped his hands around my wrists, almost as if he was shackling me to the wall. His angelic face was in front of mine again, his eyes full of sadness…

"Bella," he murmured as he leaned his head forward, nuzzling my neck. He unclenched my wrists and wrapped his hands around my back so that I was hugging his body now. Then he began to talk in that fast-paced, stream-of-conscious way in which I had to concentrate really hard to catch all that he was saying.

"Bella, we're leaving. Just the two of us. I'm buying a plane ticket tonight and we can go anywhere. Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia – even South America. I don't care. But we're leaving. We can get away from this godforsaken place," then he squeezed my hand gently and said, "Bella, we could get married and nobody would care. We'd have all the time in the world. Just you and me – forever. So, after this shower, pack and we can catch the next flight out of Forks…"

I twisted my hand out of his and placed my index finger on his lips to silence him. I don't think I've ever seen him so scared – he was shaking again, staring intensely into my eyes.

"I'm not leaving, Edward," I said slowly.

"Bella – don't argue with me. I don't care if I have to bound and shackle you to me – _we're leaving_," he said through clenched teeth.

"Edward, what about Charlie and Renee? What about school? And I can't leave Jacob," I said fiercely.

"I don't care Bella – right now all that concerns me is _you_. I – I," he choked. "I can't bear to loose you again Bella!"

I stared at him and then stood on my toes so that I could reach his face. I kissed him on the lips, placing both my hands on his cheeks. He did the same. The kiss was longer this time and deeper than ever. The water was coming down on both of us – I could feel myself on the verge of losing it when he parted his lips ever so slightly, almost as if it was an invitation to come in. I was happy to oblige. Abruptly, the kiss ended and we were both breathless.

"Edward – I'm not – leaving," I said, a bit staggered.

"Yes you are," he said, gritting his teeth.

"Then give me a good reason why," I challenged.

He furrowed his eyebrows, and breathed in slowly. "Last night – when I got home, I learned that Alice had a vision – I was able to _see _that vision because she was thinking about it when I walked in the door…"

"Obviously, this vision has something to do with Victoria."

"Yes…"

"Edward, just tell me what you saw," I was getting annoyed now.

"I saw you _damn it_!" he said as he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and clenched his hands into fists of rage. "You were – unconscious. Bella, you had scrapes and bruises all over you, just like in that ballet room. You were being strapped to a chair by a group of others; I couldn't make out who they were. They bound your hands together with ropes…" and he opened his eyes, burning them into mine. "But that wasn't the worst of it."

My mouth was hanging open, my breathing erratic. "What's the worst of it?" I said, my voice barely audible.

"The worst of it, Bella, was that I could do absolutely nothing. I was being held back by another group and I was trying so hard to break free… The next thing I saw was Victoria, walking up to where you were strapped in the chair. She began to lean forward…"

I put my hands on his face and pulled his head onto my chest. "The future is never for sure."

"It's more definite if the picture was moving – in Alice's vision, a majority of it was moving…"

"Since when did you get all pessimistic? I thought you and your family bet against Alice all the time," I said playfully, hoping to raise his spirits.

"Bella, this is different," he said roughly.

"How is it different?"

"There are others this time – this isn't just one vampire looking for sweet revenge. Victoria has roused a group of followers, probably interested in taking on a fight with a cluster of strange vampires like us. Plus, there's the added fun of a pack of werewolves nearby. They'll want to draw this out – enjoy it while it lasts. I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you safe – and right now that means leaving."

"Edward, I can't leave. I'm sorry. I can't do that to Charlie and Renee. I don't care how much you plead – I'll kick and scream the whole way."

"Bella," he shook his head. "You are so unbelievably stubborn, do you know that?"

I scowled at him.

"Fine – you'll stay here," he scowled back. "But I'm going to be unbearably protective from now on, do you understand? I'm guessing that this group is going to wait until we are split apart and then take us each individually. Well, they're going to be in for a surprise because I am not leaving your side."

"What about Charlie? And hunting? Edward, please think this through!"

"I _am _thinking this through. Don't worry about those right now – I have a few ideas."

"Well, I am worrying about them. Edward," I could feel the tears swim up into my eyes. "I can't bear to see you hurt."

Suddenly, he had his hands on my shoulders and was holding me up to him so that our noses were touching. "Bella, don't you _dare _start worrying about my safety. I can take care of myself."

"Not against an entire group of vampires like that!" I cried when I thought about him also being held hostage in the vision. "I can't – I can't…"

He already had me clutched firmly against him. His cold hands were stroking my back. "Bella, I'll be fine. I have my family to look out for me. All you should be worried about is you."

I wrapped my hands around his back and pressed my face into his bare chest.

"I love you," I said between my gasps for air.

"Bella – words can't even describe how much I love you," he said softly into my ear. I heard a little click sound behind me and warm water was beating firmly against the back of my head. I lifted my head out of Edward's chest and saw that he was holding the showerhead over me, smiling.

"Hum – It seems we got so engrossed in our conversation, we completely forgot what we set out to do in the first place. Can I wash your hair?" he said sweetly.

I was frozen to the spot, staring at him, my mouth hanging open.

He started to run the showerhead up and down my back, following my curves with the water and his icy hand. I swear I could feel electric signals coming off from his fingers because I was beginning to get all jittery. Then he leaned in real close and said into my ear, "You know – whenever I take a shower, I am always reminded of you. I mean, they're both warm…" and his hand was inching its way up my back and was going under my bikinis' top clasp. Oh crap.

"… and soothing," he finished.

I could feel that my cheeks were on fire and that my legs were shaking. His hand was still under my suit's top clasp. I swiveled my head to the side and I saw Edward, looking at my back, one hand under my bikini clasp, the other with the showerhead. His eyes were filled with that desire again and indecision flickered across his features. He dropped his hand from my back and turned to me, grinning.

"So, you haven't answered my previous question…" he said mischievously. "Can I wash your hair?"

"Um… okay," I said, and then added quickly, "Under one condition."

"And what would that be?" his eyes sparkled.

"I get to wash your hair too," I said, an impish grin forming on my face.

"Mmm, this is going to be fun," he said as he smirked and pulled one of the shampoo bottles off the small shelf in the shower. He placed the showerhead back in its holder, squirted a quarter-size drop of the red shampoo into his hand, and rubbed it between his fingers.

"Turn around Bella," he murmured.

I did as he asked, reluctantly. As soon as my back was to him, I could feel a soft pressure on my head – he hands were working diligently through my hair. My eyelids started to close somewhat – I was getting way too relaxed. He was giving me a head massage that was irresistible… my legs were going numb and I could feel bubbles running down the side of my face.

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward stopped.

I was leaning my body against the shower wall so that I wouldn't fall to the floor unexpectedly. Goosebumps were running the length of my neck and arms.

"I'm fine," my words came out in a strange jumble. "Why'd you stop?"

He laughed behind me. "Sorry," he said, repentant.

Once my hair was completely covered with bubbles and thoroughly scrubbed, Edward took the showerhead off its holder again and pressed it against the back of my head. As soon as all the shampoo was out of my hair, he repeated the same steps with the conditioner – except this time he was a bit _too _thorough. He even rubbed my neck and my back in places while he worked around in my hair. I was slipping down the shower wall during the whole process – it was _way _too good.

"Bella? I'm done," Edward said softly as he put the showerhead back it its place holder.

"Mm," I sighed – I think I was drooling a little.

He put his hands on my shoulders and twisted me around towards him. Then he took one hand and lifted my chin up to look into his face. "Are you still up for washing my hair?" he said, grinning.

"You bet," I assured him. "Now, you turn around – oh, man, you'll probably have to sit on the floor…" I added when I took into account that he was almost a complete foot taller than me.

He chuckled and sat himself down, cross-legged in the shower. Then he closed his eyes and waited while I looked at our assortment of shampoo.

Not much to pick from. My mom had a huge collection – whatever she thought was cheap, smelled nice, or promised a full hair sort-of transformation, we had it sitting somewhere in the shower. Now I was left with two choices: my favorite strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner (which Edward used on me) and Charlie's typical shampoo for men. I sighed. I'm sure Edward had something much better than this stuff in his shower, but I was going to have to make do. I grabbed Charlie's shampoo and squeezed some into my hand. Then I slapped my hands together and rubbed the shampoo through my fingers. Eyeing Edward's now-damp bronze hair, I slipped my hands through it and began to massage his head.

Then the most surprising thing happened. Usually, Edward was always on edge – rigid and somewhat tense whenever I saw him. But as soon as I started to rub the shampoo through his hair, no longer did he sit up straight, but, instead, he slouched a bit. What caught me even more off guard was when he mimicked exactly what I did and lean his shoulder and head against the shower wall, while I worked around his head and neck. My hands stopped at once.

"Edward, are _you _alright?" I asked, incredulously.

"Mmmmmmmm…" was the only reply I got.

A faint smile crossed my lips as I began working again at his hair. It was wonderful. Even though Charlie's shampoo fragrance was becoming the more dominant aroma of Edward's head, I could still smell his distinct scent float upward into my nostrils. It was driving me nearly insane as I tackled his hair. It was so soft…

I grabbed the showerhead from its holder and proceeded to wash all the soap from his hair. Surprisingly, it didn't take very long at all. At that moment I was a tad jealous that his hair was shorter than mine. I put the showerhead back and started with the conditioner…

As I was putting the conditioner through his hair, a white hand shot out without warning and grabbed one of my hands. Edward pulled my hand lower to him and kissed it gently with his lips. Then he pressed the back of my hand against his check and began to nuzzle it lightly.

"Smell's good," he murmured.

"I think I like my strawberry stuff better," I teased.

He laughed quietly. "It's not only the shampoo I was talking about."

I pulled my hand slowly out of Edward's and tentatively began working on his head again, my heart jumping around chaotically.

I was rinsing the last of the conditioner out of his hair. His hair was shinier than ever now – as if it didn't look wonderful before. My hair paled next to his hair's radiance.

He was still leaning against the wall when I hung the showerhead up. I squatted down next to him. His eyes were still closed and he looked very peaceful, very serene, and very beautiful. I leaned into his ear and whispered, "I'm done, Edward."

His lips curled upward. "Thank you, Bella." Then his eyes opened and he turned to me. "Time to wash our bodies now."

And then I slipped backwards in the shower – eyes wide and cheeks flushing.

-

Edward lifted me out of the shower, even though I protested. I was still red all over after our little experience in the shower. His smile was wider than I had ever seen it – his eyes were light, carefree and obviously elated. Of course, this did not help my poor heart when he looked at me with them. The full intensity of his eyes nearly gave me a heart attack. He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead.

"We should take showers together more often," he said, jovially. "I like them."

I gave him a look. "Edward, be realistic – I'd never get to school on time! We must have been in there for nearly an hour!" Then my face reddened again when I thought of all the water we wasted and the big fat heating bill Charlie was going to get.

"That was some hour," Edward replied, his crooked smile playing across his lips.

Truly, it was. That was probably the best shower of my life – washing his hair was nothing compared to washing his body – or him washing mine. It was difficult to stand still for that period of time as he made his way slowly up and done my body with the sponge. I was shaking everywhere. I'm not entirely sure, but I think that Edward had the same experience when I was washing him. Again, he was not as still as a stone like usual. He seemed to be rocking on his heals the whole time, or shifting his weight precariously from foot to foot. I couldn't help but smile and flush like an idiot the whole time I was layering him with soap. This only made him flash me a large smile and laugh from time to time. Sometimes he would twitch a little to my touch. Perhaps I did have sort of effect on him like he did on me.

"Okay, put me down and leave!" I said after ogling at his prefect face for awhile. "I need some privacy now."

"Hum," he eyed my change of clothes sitting on the bathroom counter. "I could help you get dressed if you want."

"GET OUT!" I yelled – my cheeks a bright, beet red.

He was laughing exuberantly as he set me on my feet. He grabbed a towel that was hanging from the back of the door and sauntered out of the bathroom. I was fuming by now – that was _my _towel.

I dried myself quickly with a fresh towel from out of the cabinets below the sink. I knew he took my towel on purpose – he could just have easily taken one from the bottom of the cabinet. But, then again, I was secretly happy knowing that Edward had mine in the other room…

I slipped into my fresh pair of clothes and that's when it happened. I began to have a sneezing fit. I ripped a line of toilet paper off the roll and pulled it up next to my snot-dripping nose. Ugh – the shower with Edward made me completely forget I was sick. I think the steam from the shower also cleared up my nose. I pressed my forehead to the relatively cool bathroom wall, hoping that it would somehow relieve the aching pain and heaviness that was swelling back into my head.

"Unnnnnn," I moaned, and shut my eyes. Reaching out blindly, my hands pawed for my toothbrush somewhere on the counter. Before I knew it, I felt something brush my hands lightly, and I was clasping my toothbrush.

"Get out," I said, although the words didn't seem quite as stern as I intended them to be.

"Bella, your sick…" Edward said mournfully.

"And that's not your fault – now, please, let me have my human moments."

I turned my head in his direction and he looked pained.

I sighed – he was such a suck up. "Fine, you can stay. I'm just going to brush my teeth real quick."

He seemed relieved as he leaned against the counter, crossed his arms, and scrutinized my every move. He had his white T-shirt back on.

Once I was done, I placed my toothbrush back on the counter and noticed Edward was eyeing it. I looked at it too; it was nothing really – just something cheap I picked up from a local pharmacy store. My eyes flicked over to Charlie's toothbrush, which was lying next to mine. It, too, was a cheap one but of a different brand. I couldn't understand why Edward could possibly be interested in my toothbrush all of a sudden.

"Bella," he said in a soft tone. "Can I borrow a toothbrush?"

"Why?" I asked, hesitantly.

"I need to brush my teeth," he smiled so that I was able to see all his pearly whites. Why he needed to possibly clean his teeth was beyond me; nobody's teeth in the entire world were more perfect than his.

"Vampires brush there teeth?" I said in disbelief. I didn't think vampires needed much personal care, if any at all.

"Well, no, not really," he said dryly. "I was just interested in what it was like to brush your teeth."

"Uh – I don't know if I have an extra toothbrush…"

I gulped when he turned to me, a sly smile spreading across his features. "I was wondering if I could use yours."

I gaped at him – the thought of _him _using my toothbrush was the strangest thing in the world. Most people would probably shudder at the thought of sharing a toothbrush with anyone. However, I really didn't mind – it was almost something intimate, in a very odd way.

Discerning my expression, he picked up my toothbrush carefully and spread some of my toothpaste over it. He looked at it for a second before delicately placing it on his teeth and began scrubbing.

Then his eyes had an overcast look to them and he stopped with the toothbrush in his mouth. His skin looked whiter than its usual paleness.

"Uh – Edward, are you okay?"

"I'mu fiaaane," his muffled voice said through the toothpaste bubbles and toothbrush still in his mouth.

I groaned and said, "Edward, spit the toothpaste out of your mouth. This is ridiculous."

He didn't need a second telling. In a flash, he spit out all the toothpaste into the sink and, to my horror, seemed to be coughing up spit and other stuff too.

"Edward! Oh my god – are you okay?!" I said rushing to his side trying to think of some way to help him. I contemplated whether pounding his back would do anything, but thought against it. It would take a bulldozer pounding against his back to have any sort of effect, let alone me slamming against him with my miniscule muscles.

He held up his hand to silence me, but had his eyes closed and was still coughing over the sink. He looked extremely vulnerable and it scared me.

The coughing died down and he was merely leaning over the sink now, breathing deeply. Then he started to shake his head side to side and laugh slightly.

"That was stupid," he muttered.

"God, you scared the living daylights out of me!" I accused hotly in his face. "Don't you ever do that again!"

He picked up the toothpaste tube and looked like he was reading the label. "Bella?"

"What?"

"This toothpaste is disgusting," he said simply and put it back on the counter. He took the toothbrush that was still in his hand and washed it thoroughly under the running water. Once that was done, he threw it in the waste basket.

"I'll buy you a new toothbrush," he said sourly.

-

Edward was at my side at the kitchen counter while I was looking through the cabinets for something edible. My head was on fire – I had already taken a Tylenol, but I was debating on whether I should take another one. My eyes rested on a Campbell's Select chicken noodle soup can. I was amazed that we actually had canned soup somewhere in the house. As I placed the soup on the counter, I pulled out a microwaveable bowl and put it next to the can. I shut the cabinet and opened the soup with the can opener.

I smirked when I laid eyes on Edward's face. If he was human, I swear his face would have been turning green. I was plopping the contents of the can into the bowl –making an odd, gushing sound. I don't think the look or the smell was helping him at all. I couldn't blame him either. It looked positively revolting when it wasn't heated.

"I'm sorry," I said sweetly. "I forgot to ask… would you like some?" and I held the bowl up to his face.

He gave me an annoyed, exasperated expression as he put his hands on the bowl and pushed it back towards me. "Just heat it up Bella."

I turned on my heel, put the bowl in the microwave, and punched in three minutes. Hopefully that was enough – with this microwave, you could never tell. Either it used too much heat, making the food explode in the oven, or not enough, causing the food to come out cold. Usually, I avoid the microwave because of this, preferring to cook everything on the stove. But, I wasn't up to that today, my head was throbbing and Edward was too much of a distraction.

Together we walked off into the adjacent living/family room (whatever you want to call it) where I had the few VHS tapes that Charlie owned laying across the floor. Most of them were from when I was a child. Charlie had used them as entertainment for me whenever I visited during the summertime. Some of them were movies that Charlie actually went out and bought for his own enjoyment, but I barely recognized the titles. It's not as though I disliked the movies, I just never got out much to watch them. Plus, they never held the same intrigue or solace that books did for me.

One childhood movie in particular caught my attention. I couldn't remember the last time that I watched it – it had to have been several years. This one, whenever it was mentioned, always reminded me of Forks and its rainy gloom. In fact, a lot of the movie was dark – but, somehow, it had managed to be one of my favorites.

"Is there anything you want to watch?" I asked Edward before I grabbed the movie I wanted.

He smirked and said, "Charlie doesn't have much of a selection. You go ahead and pick something out."

"Okay then," and I snatched the movie off the floor. I stuck it in the VCR and pressed play.

The TV had 10 seconds of fuzz and blurring, traditional to that of old videos. Then the screen went black briefly before commercials from the 1990's started to run. I placed myself on the edge of the couch and wrapped the blanket that was lying on one of the armrests around me. I was going to lay back into the cozy, old couch cushions, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around my stomach and I sighed as I was being pressed against Edward's body – completely stretched out along the couch. I grabbed the tissue box that was sitting on the coffee table, held it close to my body, and pulled out a tissue just I sneezed.

The commercials ended and the tinker-like music started to play, indicating the beginning of the movie.

"'Bambi'?" Edward said, chortling.

"What? This is one of the best Disney movies out there!" I said defiantly.

He just shook his head and continued to laugh softly.

As the movie began I was trying with difficulty to focus on it. But, as always, Edward found a way to distract me. His hand was able to find a way under the blanket and my shirt so that it was rubbing my bare skin lightly. I started to squirm and I could feel the goose bumps erupting all over my body.

"Are you ticklish Bella?" he asked playfully.

"N-no," I mumbled and my cheeks grew hot. That was a lie.

Suddenly, I was on my back on the couch and Edward was on top of me. He was untangling the blanket from around me as I tried futilely to stay wrapped tight in it. He pried my fingers off the blanket, and pulled it off. Then he was lifting my shirt up so that my bare belly was showing. Oh no he wasn't!

"Edward – what the – ?!" I yelled. I was struggling to get him off me but he secured my hands to my sides. Then he leaned his head to my stomach, pressed his cool lips on it, and began to blow.

Now I was really squirming and laughing hysterically – my legs were flying everywhere as I tried to kick him off me. He wasn't having any of that – he was able to fetter my legs to the couch with his knees as he continued to blow on my belly. It was like I was trying to kick concrete – I hadn't been making much progress. I was rolling around and tears were forming in my eyes because I was laughing so hard.

"Stop – stop – stop!" I choked, trying desperately to gasp for air. "I'll do anything! Please stop!"

His head jerked upwards and he was looking at me with his deep golden eyes.

"Anything?" he said smiling.

I was catching my breath and said, "Yes, just stop."

"Okay," he said as he lightly brushed his lips across my belly again and pulled my shirt down. He grabbed the blanket off the floor and gave it back to me.

"Oh, man," I said.

"What?" he said and he abruptly became anxious.

I tried to get off from under him but he was still securely holding me down.

"I need to go get my soup – I forgot about it," I said.

"Oh," and relief washed over him. He let go of me and I rolled off the couch onto the floor, laughing in spite of myself. Using the coffee table as leverage, I pushed myself up shakily, my head swimming. I glanced at Edward and he had one of the strangest expressions across his face.

"What?" I said, laughing somewhat. "Oh – what was it you wanted me to do for you in return for letting me free?"

He eyed me and smiled. "Oh, nothing."

I narrowed my eyes at him – I suspected there was more to that.

"Really, what is it?"

"Bella, you're sick and it's obviously getting to your head. I don't want you doing anything for me now, but you'll owe me later," he said, a mischievous grin etching across his face.

Great…

I walked into the kitchen, grabbed my soup out of the microwave (happy that it didn't explode) with a paper towel, and took a spoon out of the counter drawer. Then I returned back into the other room where Edward was sitting up straight on the couch, watching "Bambi" with a renewed intensity.

"Finally you realize the beauty of Disney movies," I said as I sat next to him, the soup in my lap.

He smirked and continued to watch. I followed suit as I ate my soup. It had been ages since I watched the movie and I could hear Edward beside me laugh when I cried at the death of Bambi's mom.

"You don't feel sad at all?" I asked through my tears.

He shook his head, grinning. "If you look closely, you'll notice this movie has a bunch of goofs in it."

"Goofs?"

"Like – editing mistakes I suppose. For example," he inclined his head towards the movie screen. "Bambi's lady friend, Faline… her eyes are constantly changing from blue to brown throughout the entire movie."

I gaped at him. "Are you serious?" I had never noticed that before.

He smiled widened. "Yes, I am very serious. Thumper's sister too – she changes colors during the movie as well."

From that point on, I did not cry again during the movie. Then again, I wasn't paying so much attention to the plotline as to trying to catch all of the goofs that Edward was pointing out to me. By this time, he had the remote in his hand and was rewinding parts to show me where they were. Together we laughed when we watched Faline's eyes repeatedly change colors, when the lead dog chasing Faline through the forest changed from brown to grey, and at the missing hooves on Bambi when he was walking backwards trying to get away from Faline. It was absolutely hilarious. I wondered how many other movies had goofs in them without my knowing. Probably tons.

Once "Bambi" ended, I felt extremely tired. I rewound the movie and when it was done, put in another one. I wasn't even paying attention to the title. As soon as I crossed the room into Edward's waiting arms on the couch, I fell asleep.

-

I woke to the sound of a door opening somewhere nearby and a light switch on next to me. I groaned.

"Bells, are you feeling okay?"

"Dad?" I said and I lifted my head up. My eyes widened – when did I walk back into my room?

"Yep. Did you sleep most of the day?" Charlie asked as he sat on the corner of my bed, staring at me.

"Uh – I watched a movie… and then I came upstairs and fell asleep. What time is it?" I murmured as I glanced over at my alarm clock and my mouth dropped. It was 10:45.

"When did you get home?" I questioned.

He hesitated and said, "I just got back."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Just now?"

"Just now."

"Dad – what happened today?" I said, a note of hysteria creeping into my voice.

"I'm sorry honey, we didn't find the wolves," he said sorrowfully.

I made a silent prayer of thanks that he didn't.

"All we saw was blood in the grass, just the same as last time. We didn't find the body or any tracks," he shook his head and sighed. "This is the most action the police force has gotten here for ages."

I was shaking now as I said, "I'm so glad you came home safely Dad," and I gave him an awkward hug. I could feel the tears behind my eyes. "I think I'm going to go back to sleep now though, I'm really tired."

"I understand sweetheart, I just came to check on you. Sleep well," and he got up from my bed, crossed my room, and exited, shutting my door quietly behind him.

As soon as he was out of the room, I could feel the tears falling down my cheeks. Then, in a flash, I was being held against a solid figure whose arms were wrapped protectively around my stomach, and being rocked gently back and forth. The figure was trembling, just like me.

-----

_**AN: **Wow, yeah I know this is much longer than usual. I'm sorry if it was unbelievably boring too – it was a lot of fluff. I apologize for that – that stuff is fun to write about. :) _

_Anyway – I would like to notify readers that it is going to take me much longer to update. I'm extremely stressed and we were just assigned this HUGE project in my AP class (25 minute presentation in which you're stuck in a group who has no idea what they are doing – ugh). I don't have the time I once had during break to write. Sorry! Well, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!_


	6. Visitation Rights

_**Author's Note: **Friday's are probably my favorite days of the week because those are the only day's where I have time. Today is a Friday – so I'm starting the next chapter! Yay! Plus, I seriously need to get my mind off the stupid project that I'm doing. It's driving me insane. _

_Thanks again for your continued support and comments! One person even said that they heard about my fan-fiction from a friend and came to check it out. It deeply touched me that my fan-fiction has gotten to the point where it's being passed around to friends! Thank you guys so much! (blush) x3 Anyway, here we go with the next chapter! _

_**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own anything by Stephenie Meyer – which goes for the books _Twilight _and _New Moon

**Visitation Rights**

Now, there is overprotective – and then there is _overly _overprotective.

Edward is the overly overprotective type.

The following day, after our little outing in the shower on Sunday, Edward did not leave my side for a second. As soon as Charlie left for work (after he promised me he wasn't going to get himself into any trouble with the "wolves"), Edward followed me around the house as I got ready to face the glum Monday. No surprise that the rain was falling outside to match my melancholy mood. To make matters worse, I had to stuff near a whole box of tissues into my knapsack because I was still sick. Instead of getting better, it felt like I was getting progressively worse. It got to the point where I had to hold a tissue to my constantly dripping nose.

Edward drove me to school that morning, first stopping briefly at his house to change and clean up a bit. Alice and Emmett ran up to greet me the instant the two of us set foot in the door. Rosalie was upstairs and I noticed Jasper keeping his distance from me in the living room.

"Hey Bella!" Alice said exuberantly, hugging me.

"Bella!" Emmett pounded me on the back in a friendly fashion and I nearly fell over. Edward shot him a death look, a warning to be cautious, before he retreated to his room upstairs. Emmett helped me regain my balance. "Oops, sorry Bella."

"Uh – it's okay," I said, smiling encouragingly. Emmett smiled back – he couldn't help his own strength. "Wow – I haven't been here in awhile…" I mused out loud. In fact, I'm pretty sure I hadn't been there since the Cullen family voted whether or not I should become one of them.

"Don't worry, not much has changed," Alice assured me.

I looked past Alice and saw Esme walking swiftly across the foyer with a huge smile on her face. However, her eyes looked worried and somewhat scared. She hugged me gently and then withdrew.

"It is nice to see you back Bella," Esme said softly.

"It's so good to see all – well, almost all of you," I said nodding.

Esme rolled her eyes. "Please forgive Rosalie – she is still hesitant about you joining the family. Is it going to happen after graduation?"

"Um," I mumbled. Did they not know what Edward was planning? I glanced at Alice, and she had a smirk on her face. She evidently knew. "I'm not quite sure when exactly – Edward is just…"

"Just what?" a voice said in my ear.

I think my heart stopped. The voice laughed behind me. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me close to his side. He poked me in the stomach.

"Just what?" Edward pried.

"Just insufferable," I said as bitingly as I could. I was still breathless after his little sneak-up on me. Why oh why does he have to be so quiet?

"Hum," he pressed his lips together into a flat line.

Esme cocked her head slightly, not understanding what had transpired. She looked at Edward and I could feel Edward nodding behind me. Obviously she was sharing her thoughts with him. My gaze shifted to Alice whose eyebrows were furrowed, looking concerned. Could she possibly have had more visions of the new arrivals in Forks?

"Come on Bella – we're going to be late," Edward murmured as he twisted me around to face him. He was wearing a pair of khaki colored pants with a gray sweater whose sleeves were rolled up past his elbows.

"Don't forget about me!" Alice intoned. "Don't worry, I'll ride in the back seat," she added, winking at me. I groaned.

Suddenly, Jasper came out of nowhere. He was standing next to Alice and was looking at her intensely. She stared just as intensely back at him and the two of them pulled each other into an embrace. I looked down at my feet feeling very awkward.

"Bella – how often are you going to be coming over?" Emmett said from behind me.

"Uh – this was a one-timer I guess. Edward needed to change and he's not letting me have two seconds worth of privacy," I turned to him, staring hard, but he was looking off into space, ignoring my overt protest to his behavior.

"Aw, that's too bad," Emmett said, shaking his head. "I really didn't know I would miss you so much – hey, at least with Victoria's new group around town, perhaps you'll be spending more time here!" he grinned.

Everyone was silent after that. It finally hit me that this whole time the family was trying to avoid that particular subject; probably fearing that it would upset me. Emmett blew the whole charade. Edward's features seemed to darken slightly and he took me by the shoulder and directed me out the front door.

"Meet you in the car Alice," Edward said coldly.

We crossed the porch to the Volvo and Edward popped the trunk open. He slammed an old, green, army-looking backpack into the trunk that seemed to be bursting at the seams.

"What's in the bag?" I asked, curious.

He frowned and looked over at me.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said.

"Wait – I thought you agreed we _weren't_ leaving!" I said angrily.

"No, we're not leaving," he said, the corners of his mouth turning upward into a mocking grin. "I'm just staying over. You don't mind if I put the bag in your closet?"

I sighed. "No, it's fine."

"Good," he said, although his eyes were scrutinizing my face to make sure it was okay with me.

"I thought the two of you would be in the car and at school by now!" Alice sauntered out of the house; her purple shirt hugged the top half of her body then flowed outward at the bottom billowed in the wind. I could feel rain drizzles tickle my cheek.

"Ha, were both procrastinators," I said, jokily.

Her return smile was shockingly beautiful. She climbed in the back of the car as Edward took the front seat – I right beside him. He pulled out of his home and flew down the lush, green passage back out onto the main road. With his free hand, he grabbed my left hand and squeezed it gently. He was driving one-handed and seemed to be paying little attention to the road in front of him.

"Bella – have you decided on a shopping trip yet?" Alice asked out of the blue.

Edward grimaced.

"No, Alice, I haven't," I replied tersely.

"Hum – that's a shame," she said unhappily. Was she trying to make small talk?

Everything in the car became silent for a long while. The tenseness in the air was almost tangible. I sighed – when needed to move past this whole mess.

"Look – Alice, I would like to ask you something," I said, peeking quickly at Edward. His jaw tightened slightly.

"And what's that Bella?" Alice said kindly, but guardedly.

"I'd like to know – did you have any _other _visions, besides the one you saw of Edward and me?" I interrogated, trying to sound calm.

I turned my head to the back seat to look at Alice. She had her eyes off me, staring instead down at her small, pale-white hands.

"Well?" I demanded.

"No – nothing of importance…" she said trailing off. The corners of her mouth twitched faintly.

Edward seemed to relax somewhat. I had a feeling I knew what the vision was about, but I didn't press onward for clarification. I would wait, patiently if I could, until someone answered the question willingly for me.

The car swooshed into the student parking lot of Forks High just as the morning bell sounded. The three of us rushed silently out of the car and proceeded into our first classes of the day.

-

The rest of the day passed in a dull blur. Gym was horrid, of course. The fact that I had a cold didn't help much either. We finished up the rest of our physical exam (including sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups) with Edward as my partner, helping me in anyway he could. I had a sneezing fit in the middle of our sit-up exam while Edward was holding my feet securely to the ground. I was lying on my back, basically giving up, until I felt his hand slip under my back, supporting me in order to help me complete the bare minimum amount of sit-up's to pass. When the bell rang for that class to end I was beyond grateful.

Now the rain was slamming down outside as Edward and I walked to his Volvo. I had on my raincoat, the hood pulled over my head. Edward had on a long, cream colored trench coat with his hands in his pockets, not seeming to care that the rain was pouring down across his face. I shuffled into the passenger seat, my boots making a loud squeaking noise, while Edward got into the driver's seat next to me. In a flash, we were pulling out of the school and on the road back to Charlie's. I was pondering what to make Charlie for dinner that night and then it hit me – we had no food.

"Edward – wait, don't go to Charlie's right now," I said quickly.

His eyes flicked over to me. "Why?"

"I need to go to the store," I admitted. "We don't have any food – I need something to make Charlie for dinner tonight."

His features hardened as he looked back onto the road. Suddenly, the car lurched sideways and we were turning back in the direction towards the few shopping places in Forks. I shook my head to make the dizziness go away, while I muttered, "Thanks."

I'm not quite sure, but I think I saw a slight grin appear across Edward's face before it disappeared.

In no time at all, we were parking at the local Forks grocery store. Forks didn't have the well known trademark stores that Phoenix does – such as Wal-Mart. Instead, there was one store that everyone in town flocked to on a regular basis. It had the perfect name too – "Produce Store".

"I'll just be two minutes, I promise," I told Edward as I put my hand on the door handle. "You can stay here."

But before I my hand even clicked the door open, Edward was there swinging it open for me. I looked up at him through the rain drops.

"If it is alright with you, I'd like to come," he said staring firmly at me.

I sighed. "I don't think anything is going to happen in a _grocery store_ of all places! There are too many witnesses."

"Actually, I think you would be more prone to kidnapping here than at Charlie's – it's more open. Plus, they have ways of sneaking up on others and keeping themselves hidden that nobody would be able to notice," he said, his gaze shifting behind me. In one swift move, he pulled me out of the car and was walking with his hand around my waist, directing me into the food mart. His was still looking behind him, his features rigid. I opened my mouth to ask, but he muttered quickly, "Later."

Once inside the store, I pulled one of the old, rusty grocery carts out of their line. I pushed it while Edward walked lithely at my side, his eyes ever vigilant. He seemed to be concentrating on something.

We rolled up to the vegetables and fruits aisle in the store. I pulled on one of the plastic bag rolls and snapped off three bags to use. I had decided that tonight I didn't feel like slaving over something huge for Charlie – club sandwiches sounded good. I picked out some decent looking tomatoes and a bag of iceberg lettuce. I chose a few sad looking oranges and strawberries to fill up the other bags and moved onto the next aisle, Edward beside me. I could feel the stares on the back of my head as we walked through the crowds of other shoppers that came to the little store. I could only image how odd the situation looked – me, my average looking 5'4" self, pushing a cart and walking with a glorious, bronze-haired god. I sniffed and pulled out a tissue from my knapsack that I took in with me. Plus, I had cold, I thought bitterly to myself. I knew I would never be able to trust myself… how could I ever be enough for him?

Edward and I didn't speak as we turned the corner into the frozen food section, the cart wheels and my boots making annoying squeaking sounds. Nobody was in the aisle as we walked down it's slightly chillier atmosphere. It was a bit eerie, come to think of it. The shockingly white linoleum floor reflected the bright fluorescent lights from above. Monotonous elevator music filled the long aisle as we moved down it. Edward was barely making a sound as we walked. I stopped finally in front of a section of TV dinners. Before I opened the glass door though, I paused to stare, open mouthed at the image that was reflected back at me. There I was, standing behind the shopping cart with Edward at my side, looking intensely back at me in the glass. He looked like something out of a movie, even though his hair was slightly damp as well as his clothes. I, on the other hand, looked very ordinary and insignificant next to him. I felt his hand cling around my waist again and pull me to his side. He leaned in and kissed my neck as I hung my head slightly, checks flushing. Edward noticed of course.

"What's the matter?" he asked anxiously.

"Nothing," I said, trying hard to keep my voice even. I pulled the glass door open so that the disturbing image disappeared off of the door. I grabbed the first meal my hands touched and threw it into the cart.

His brow creased as he examined my face. He groaned. "Bella, what are you thinking? Please?"

"It's nothing really," I said waving my hand flippantly. "Come on, I still have a few more things to get."

I started to push the cart down the aisle but Edward moved in front of it, blocking my way. I narrowed my eyes at him and tried futilely to swerve around him, but of course he stepped easily in front of it. He clasped the sides of the cart to hold it in place. I had no where to go. I pursed my lips. He was frowning at me.

"Bella, quit being difficult and tell me what's wrong," he said, frustrated.

His pale skin blended so perfectly in with the white surroundings around him that even when he was glowering at me, he looked more surreal and beautiful than ever. I tried to scowl back.

"I said it was nothing, now let me finish shopping so that we can get out of here," I said between clenched teeth. I pushed the cart forward again, but it didn't move so much as an inch.

"Bella…" he growled. Then his eyes shifted focus and he was looking behind me. He let go of the front of the cart and walked back to my side, the scowl even more pronounced on his face.

"What?" I asked.

He put his hand in the small of my back and pushed me forward. "Just keep shopping Bella."

Aggravated, I turned my head behind me and saw Mike at the end of the aisle watching us with nervous eyes. Suddenly I realized why Edward had pulled me into the store quickly before – did he see Mike? Was he trying to avoid him?

He was going to kill me later, I knew it, but I did it anyway.

"Hey Mike!" I said, stopping and waving towards him. That seemed to give him some encouragement as he walked awkwardly over to us. Edward tensed beside me but didn't say anything.

"What's up?" I asked when Mike was next to us.

Mike didn't say anything at first; he was eyeing Edward before he turned to me and said, "Hey Bella, I was wondering if – um, if you and," he paused, and it seemed to take all the strength he had to say the next part, "_Edward _would like to come to the movies with a group of us on Friday night. We're sort of having an early graduation party. It'll be really fun!" he said the last part with an excited glint to his eyes. Again, I was reminded of a golden retriever. "I promise! We might even go to out to a nice restaurant afterwards – of course, everyone will have to pitch in a little, but it shouldn't be too bad. So, what do you say? Will you come?"

I bit my lip and my eyes flickered between Mike and Edward. I exhaled and was deliberating on what to say next when Edward replied for me.

"Sorry Mike. We sort of made plans on Friday already," Edward said, glaring at Mike.

"I want to know what Bella wants to do," Mike said, staring back at Edward, trying hard not to flinch at the full intensity of his eyes. He gave up after awhile and looked over to me.

"Sorry, Mike but its true. We did make plans on Friday already," I replied hoping my voice didn't betray that I was lying.

"What are you guys doing?" he demanded.

I could feel the heat flooding to my cheeks – what were we doing?

"We're going to Seattle for the weekend," Edward said quickly.

"Why?" Mike continued to pry.

"I need to find a good bookstore," I added to the lie. "My stock is getting low."

"Oh," Mike said. It looked as though he drooped slightly. "You can't do that another weekend?"

"Well, Seattle is somewhat of a long drive from here Mike. Plus, what would we tell our parents after we had already made the plans?" I said, probably a bit too harshly. My patience was ebbing.

"Okay – well I guess some other time," Mike said, walking dejectedly away from us into the next aisle.

Once he turned the corner, I let out a puff of air and placed my hand to my forehead. Then I grabbed a tissue out of my knapsack and sneezed into it just in the knick of time.

"So, we're going to Seattle are we?" I asked Edward when I was done.

His eyes focused on me and I finally saw a hint of humor set in them. "Well, that was the first thing that popped in my head. You didn't seem to have any ideas either."

"Got that right," I sniffled and sneezed again into my tissue.

"You didn't want to go right?" he asked, his eyes scanning my disheveled face.

"No I didn't. But then again, if I did, I don't think you'd let me go anyway," I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

He sighed. "No, I wouldn't have."

"Was Mike going to ask that – back at the parking lot?" I asked him.

A grin was suddenly etched into his features. "Actually, he wanted to ask you the whole day. He was waiting until you were alone though. Apparently, I'm somewhat intimidating," Edward snickered. "He followed you all the way to the store, hoping that I would drop you off alone."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You knew all this and you wouldn't tell me?"

"Well, I wanted Mike to have a little fun first," he said with a too innocent expression on his face.

"You're unbelievable!" I grimaced and marched with the cart into the next aisle.

It was the snack food aisle and I was looking through the potato chips to see what kind Charlie would probably like with his sandwich, when I heard some scrunching noises beside me. I swiveled my head in its direction and found Edward stuffing bags upon bags of junk food into the cart. He had everything I could possible imagine – candy bars, cookies, chips, pretzels, donuts, bagels, cupcakes, trail mix – I even saw a frozen pizza and a tub of chocolate ice cream that I think he picked up from the previous aisle. His expression was unreadable as I gaped at him.

"What are you doing?" I said incredulously. "I don't need all this stuff!"

But he wasn't paying attention to me. He was holding a bag off Oreo cookies close to his nose, looking as if he was reading the package.

"I think I used to like these," he mused.

I cocked my head to the side and my mouth opened further. "You remember – eating Oreo's?"

He nodded reflectively. "They were relatively new during my time as a human." He shrugged and then plopped the bag on top of the mound that he had already created. He interlaced his fingers between the front bars of the cart and began to pull it forward with me trailing behind. I dug my heels into the floor, trying to pull the cart back, but instead I was being pulled along with him. It was only when my boots began to whine on the tile did Edward stop and look behind him. I nearly fell over but caught myself just in time.

"Thank you," I said sourly as I walked to the side of the cart and began to pick bags off Edward's mound to put back on the shelf. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't stop."

He puckered his brow and said, "I wasn't – why are you putting those back?"

"Because – I don't know if you know it but there is a difference between a "need" and a "want". Right now, you probably think that I _want _these items – but do I really _need _them? No. We stopped here to get the few essentials that we _need_ and then go home," I said scathingly.

"I didn't say that _you_ wanted them," Edward replied, staring hard at me, trying to discern my abrupt change in attitude.

"What – _you _want this stuff? Ha, just like you _think _you want someone like me," I added bitterly – how had this suddenly turned into a bad day?

That was obviously the wrong thing to say. His topaz eyes flashed viciously at me and before I knew it, he me pinned against one of the bare outcrops of the aisle wall – his face dangerously close to mine.

"Hum, you're absolutely right Bella," he said, eyes bright. "There _is _a difference between a "want" and a "need". And you know what I realized, after all this time with you?"

"What?" my voice cracked.

"That I don't want you at all," and he leaned in so that his lips were almost touching mine. His eyes continued to burn into me, but I couldn't look away. They became softer as he said, "I _need _you, Bella. I _need _you – to survive."

Why oh why are my tear ducts somehow connected to my emotions? I could feel the droplets behind my eyes, as I whispered, "I need you too. I'm sorry, that was stupid of me to say – it's just sometimes…"

"Sometimes what?" he coaxed.

"Sometimes – I just don't feel like I'm enough. How could I ever be – always causing trouble for you and you're family. I'm hardly worth anything at all…" I looked away from his eyes, focusing instead on a Lays potato chip bag on the shelf.

He groaned and I could feel him shaking his head sadly. "Bella, how many times do I have to tell you this to get it through your head?" His hand ran down from the top of my head to the bottom of my cheek. Then it slid under my chin and I was looking back into his eyes again – they were burning with a sincerity that made my heart jump. "I love you – and I _will _win your trust again, if it's the last thing I do, I swear it. You have brought into my life something that I was lacking for over a century – you mean more to me than anything… now tell me, what brought on this little bout of rejection?"

My eyes flickered from his face down to the floor again. "Just – I don't know, I'm sick and incoherent – like you said. I saw – in the glass – you and I – it just…" I shook my head. "Never mind, I can't explain it anyway."

"Try," he breathed.

"It's just," I reached my hand up and touched it to his cheek lightly. "You're so perfect and I'm so – _ordinary_. Just seeing the two of us in the mirror made me feel…" I trailed off. He seemed to understand and was shaking his head again.

"Bella you are so wrong. So absolutely and utterly wrong – I can't believe you would think such thoughts!" He gritted his teeth and seemed to be trying to calm himself. Eventually, his jaw relaxed and he said, "I am in no way perfect – nor would I ever be perfect. I've had my share of mistakes – namely, leaving you," he sighed and when I looked at his expression, it was almost as if someone punched him in the face. "And you are also wrong about not being worthy either. In all honesty, I feel next to nothing when I'm with you. I don't care about anything else and I question whether I'm worthy enough for you. So please, Bella," and his face moved closer to mine as he said passionately, "Some faith."

I could smell his sweet scent and his words filled within me a confidence and reassurance that almost took my breath away. What I did next was so irrational I knew I was going to smack myself later for doing it. But I didn't care – I placed my hands on either side of his face and pulled him forcefully to me, kissing his frozen lips. Suddenly his hands were wrapped around my back and I became literally welded to his body. Then his fingers traced slowly up my spine and they became glued to my face as well.

"Oh – my!" I heard a voice exclaim behind Edward. My eyes flung open and I was able to see past Edward's head to a little old lady tottering away from the aisle we were in and into the next, a look of shock on her face. I became completely self-conscious, sure that other people were staring at us. I zeroed in on Edward's face again, his eyes still closed and seeming to pay little attention to anyone but me and the kiss we were sharing. It became longer still and it didn't stop until I'm sure he sensed I needed to breathe. He released me, only to begin planting kisses around my forehead and my cheeks. I could feel them begin to flush.

"Uh – Edward?"

"Hum?" he didn't stop caressing or kissing me.

"I need to finish shopping," I said, my voice wavering.

"Really?" and to my utter surprise and disbelief, he made a pouty face before my eyes.

I smiled and said, "Yes really," then I leaned in and said into his ear, "But we have all of tonight, and tomorrow, and the next, and the next…"

His eyes brightened as his old humor returned. "I like that idea."

I moved around him and back to the cart, smiling exuberantly. Edward walked next to me and he, too, was smiling in spite of everything.

"You're not going to put all of that away, are you?" Edward asked cheerfully, inclining his head toward the pile of assorted food that he had built in the cart.

I sighed. "Why? Is there actually a reason for all of this?"

He nodded. "This is stuff that has always interested me – but sadly, things I will never be able to try," he stared up at the ceiling, absorbed in his own thoughts. Then he looked back at me again and grinned. "Now I know how children feel when they walk into a grocery store and ask their parents for everything off of the self. Even though I can't eat this stuff, I know that if I watch you eat it, maybe I can enjoy it with you."

I laughed and said, "Okay, what else do you want?"

His eyes became excited again as he said, "Well, let's see what there is."

Before I knew it, I could feel myself being dragged forward again by the cart, Edward pulling it at the front.

-

The pile at the check-out counter was astonishing. A line was backed up a mile behind us as the sales clerk slowly beeped in every single one of the pointless items Edward had thrown in the cart. I knew one thing for certain – Charlie and I would not go hungry for a millennium. Edward put in even more snack foods, assorted cheeses, sandwich meat of all kinds and shapes, exotic fruits and vegetables, flavorful soft drinks, five different types of cereal, a strange variety of medicines to help with my cold… he even put something in the cart that was all in Taiwanese because it was from the Asian food section. Every time I began to protest, he would merely shake his head saying, "I am reliving my days being human; let me have a little fun." This reminded me more of what Alice would do than him. I saw two reasons for his actions. Either, one, he's telling the truth about wanting to "relive' his days as a human, or two, he was stock piling my kitchen in order to keep me in the house as long as possible.

I was voting option two for this one.

When the lady finally finished ringing us up, I felt the heat leave my face as I pulled out my pathetic excuse for a wallet that hand nothing more in it than $50. I continued to rummage through my knapsack for spare change or anything – but Edward already had out a fancy looking Black Card (which was only given to highly prestigious members of American Express) which he gave to the cashier to pay. I groaned and he winked at me.

"No big deal," he assured me. "I'd rather pay for this anyway."

I brushed it off and before I knew it, we we're heading home.

-

Three days passed without care – but it does bring me back to my point of Edward being classified under the "overly" overprotective type. At school, he followed me everywhere (which wasn't too different from the norm - except that there were a few times where I could tell he was debating whether he was going to follow me into the girl's bathroom or the locker room or not). Alice too was on the constant watch for anything suspicious. She did not have any more visions related to Victoria's return. That seemed to make everything ten time's worse – everyone, including myself, was on edge.

At home, it became much more difficult for Edward to keep an eye on me, especially when Charlie was home. A few times I was scared out of my mind when I saw his topaz eyes staring back at me through a narrow crack in the bricked over window's of the house. The first time it happened Charlie and I were eating dinner in the kitchen. When Charlie noticed my shocked expression, he turned his head to the window only to find the red bricks greeting him. From then on I knew Charlie would be keeping a closer eye on me too. I felt like I was in some sort of detention facility – under the constant watch of the guards and the other delinquents.

It was Thursday night and I was sitting at the desk in my room, my head bent over a huge book report on _The Great Gatsby_. By this time, my cold had completed dissipated (thanks in large part to the amount of drugs Edward had been force feeding me). Edward was sitting in my rocking chair with his calculus book lying gingerly in his lap. He had a piece of notebook paper on top of the book where he was doing, in pen no less, the homework problems we were assigned that night. Like so many other things, it came easy to him. His hand moved effortlessly down the paper as he flew through the problems with little or no thought put into them whatsoever. I was procrastinating the calculus homework, focusing instead on the report that came at least a tad easier to me than math did.

"_Fitzgerald wrote _The Great Gatsby_ in order to convey to his readers the disillusionment he was feeling after World War I – a time in which wealth and fortune were becoming the premise of many people's lives. Gatsby gets consumed in his own riches…_" I wrote when my eyes glanced over to Edward, who was sitting erect in his chair, the math book closed on his lap. He was staring blankly ahead of him, his eyes pitch-black.

"Done?" I asked, one eyebrow raised.

He grinned slightly and his gaze turned to me. I frowned – his eyes told me all that I needed to know.

"For goodness sakes, would you just go already?" I said angrily. "I don't want you to starve to death because of me."

He narrowed his eyes. "You know as well as I that I can't die from starvation."

"That doesn't mean you don't suffer – it's been weeks. Please, Edward, for me, just go. I'll be fine."

"As soon as I set foot outside your door, the entire world is going to come crashing down!" he said, bitingly sarcastic. "I can't let that happen Bella; I can't let any of Victoria's group get a hold of you."

"Oh come on – it's just going to be a few hours – I promise I won't get into any danger."

My logic was working on him – I couldn't even imagine how hard it must be for him to be occupying the same room with me.

"An hour – that's all I need Bella. An hour," he reiterated, his eyes glaring at me. "Can you be safe for an hour Bella?"

I nodded. "Don't worry; I won't trip on the floorboards or fall into the washing machine. Besides, I don't want to be with a crabby man anyway."

He laughed softly. "Okay, Miss Sarcastic, I'll see you soon," and he walked gracefully to my side, kissed me on the forehead, and disappeared from my room.

I sighed and turned back to my essay. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes since he left that I heard a faint knocking on my door. I jumped up from my desk in alarm and turned to my door only to find Jacob Black standing in my doorway.

"Jacob!" I gasped. "Geez, you scared me half to death!"

He gave me a weak smile but then his features became solemn.

Suddenly, I could feel the happiness that I felt whenever I was with him wash over me. I smiled hugely then ran to his side and hugged him. He hugged me back with so much force that I thought I might split in two.

"Uh – Jake – kind of suffocating here," I choked out.

"Oh, sorry," he said, releasing me and grinning. "Guess I got a little carried away."

"What are you doing here Jacob? And – why haven't you answered any of my calls?" I demanded.

He hesitated while his chocolate eyes looked down into mine. Then he turned away, walked over to my bed, and sat on the edge of it, looking now at his huge hands. He inhaled slowly and said softly, "Bella, I've been keeping tabs on you for some time now… I've sort of been waiting for the blood-sucker to leave."

"_Edward_," I corrected, pursing my lips.

"Yeah – sorry, I keep forgetting that they actually have names," he looked up at me, a hard set to his features.

I tapped my foot impatiently and crossed my arms. He sighed and said, "Okay – well, the truth is Bella, I needed to talk to you personally."

"Jacob, you can come and talk to me anytime, you just chose not too. I can't exactly go anywhere either," I muttered the last part coldly.

"Look – about that… I also came to apologize about the whole motorcycle thing. That was stupid," he shook his head miserably. He moved his eyes to mine and they burned with sincerity, "Bella, I also came to…" and he looked down at his hands again. He was shaking violently on my bed.

"Came to what?" I pried gently.

"To take you away," his eyes grew dark. "To protect you."

My mouth dropped involuntarily as I edged backwards against my wall.

"You wouldn't," I said.

"You're right," he said, shaking his head. "I can't. Sam told me to get you and we have this whole plan set out, but I can't go through with it. Bella, I realized something – I care more about your happiness than anything else. I don't think I could ever live with myself to know that I would have caused you so much pain."

My eyes widened, but instead of being taken aback about what Jacob was telling me, I was grateful for his honesty. It was nice to know that, despite everything that has happened to us, Jacob still cared for me. But I knew it was time to set things straight with him – alone. This was probably the only chance I was going to get in a long time to talk to him like this. I moved over and sat next to Jacob on the bed and took one of his large hands into mine.

"Jake – thank you," I said sincerely. "At least I know that you aren't mad at me." I smiled awkwardly and then continued. "I want you to know Jacob that no matter what; I'll always love you – as a friend. You are my best friend – someone irreplaceable. I don't know what I'd be able to do without you. But you have to understand that -," I bit my lip. "- that is all you will ever be to me – a friend… and a really good one at that."

He nodded forlornly at my side. I could tell his heart was breaking and I hated being the one destroying it.

"Now it is time for me to apologize… I'm so sorry for anything I did to… lead you on. I don't think you quite understand though the kind of – I don't know… bond that Edward and I share. Jake, we have a similar bond…" and I trailed off. I had no idea what I was saying. I had the distinct feeling I was making things much worse. I started to chew one of my fingernails while I waited for him to say something.

"Your right – I don't understand Bella. How is it possible for you to be around him all the time? How can you possibly – fall for someone like that?" he gritted his teeth. "I don't think I will ever understand Bella – I'm sorry."

I sighed and looked down at the floorboards. "We can still be friend's Jake. Nothing can come between that. Even if I -," I stopped short.

"Even if you what?" Jacob said, squinting his eyes at me.

"Even if I become one of the Cullen's," I whispered.

Fierce tremors shook his entire body on the bed. He was breathing slowly in and out of his mouth trying to calm himself. Eventually, when the tremors died down, he said, jaw clenched. "Don't say that."

"I'm sorry," I murmured. Then I remembered something and added, hoping to distract him, "Hey, Jake, I have something I need to ask you."

"What?" his tone was biting as he tried to control his anger.

"There is a reason that you were going to kidnap me right? I mean, of all the times beforehand, why now?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Did you see them at all Jacob? Victoria's group I mean?" I questioned.

His eyes flicked to me, obviously astonished that I knew. "Is that why the blood-sucker won't leave you alone?"

"Yes, that is why _Edward_ won't leave me alone," I said through clenched teeth.

His features grew softer when he looked at me. "Yeah, that's why I came here to get you. We're not exactly sure, but we think there is between 5 or 7 of them. We are constantly picking up different traces of other's in the woods. I think they are trying to confuse us somehow. We haven't been able to spot any of them."

"Well, Alice, do you remember her?" I asked him.

"You mean the small one with the attitude problem?" he frowned.

"She doesn't have an attitude problem!" I sighed, exasperated. "Anyway, yes, she had a vision about them coming here and taking Edward and me hostage somehow. Now that I know you have been watching me too, I feel like the CIA's most wanted."

He chuckled at that. "That's true, I have to admit. You do seem to be wanted by a lot of people."

I rolled my eyes.

"But Bella," he became serious again. "I _am _going to protect you, if that's the last thing I do. I promise to keep those blood-suckers back in La Push and away from you."

"Jake – please, I don't want you to get hurt…"

He barked a laugh. "Like _that's _going to happen!" he said, over confident.

"It could! Please, please, be careful!" I said desperately. Then I found myself looping my arms around his stomach on the bed in a tight embrace.

"Yes, I'll be careful Bella," he sighed and put his arms around me. "Don't worry."

We stayed like that for awhile and I didn't mind it at all. He was very warm and soft. For all I know, I could have fallen asleep in his arms – I felt completely drained. Then, all of a sudden, Jacob tensed in my arms and he seemed to sit up straighter. I tensed too in response and followed his gaze to my bedroom door.

Edward stood in the doorway, staring at our embrace with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Let her go," he said in a low voice.

Jacob didn't say or do anything – he was shaking again. I could see the disturbing dream I had had a few nights ago flash before my eyes again – except this time the roles were reversed. The tears were already prepared to fall any minute now.

"Let her go," Edward repeated, growling softly.

Carefully Jacob let go of me and before I knew what was happening, Edward was pulling me off the bed and into his arms instead. I could tell Jacob was on the point of losing it – I knew it took all of the strength he had left in him not to change in my room or strike Edward. He rose from my bed, still shaking, and made his way to the door. Before he left he turned to me and said, "See you Bella." Then he and Edward glared at each other for a long time before he opened the door and left without another word.

The ground disappeared from below me and I was being carried onto my bed. Edward sat down on it, cross-legged, and placed me on his lap. One of his fists was clenched into a tight ball by his leg.

"I thought you promised not to get yourself into any danger while I was gone," he said slowly, his voice strained.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know Jacob was included in the 'danger' category," I replied bitterly.

"Actually, he's number one on the list. Don't you know what he wanted to do Bella?" Edward's head turned in my direction.

"Yes – he told me his plans of taking me away… but he couldn't do it. I appreciate his honesty."

"Ha – you 'appreciate his honesty'," he scoffed. "Now I _know_ I can't leave you alone!"

"Listen to me Edward – Jacob would _never _hurt me! I know I can trust him!"

"After what he did with your motorcycle?" he countered.

I frowned. "That was different…"

"No, it isn't," he corrected. "It's the same thing."

I struggled to get out of his lap in order to make a statement but he wouldn't let me budge. I sighed and pounded my fist on my bed instead.

"This is never going to end is it?"

Edward didn't say anything for a long while. Finally, he leaned into my ear and said, "It's getting late – do you want to go to bed?"

"No."

"Okay then," his cool hands slipped under my shirt and began to rub my back. I froze on the spot. "I want to ask you something – I was thinking about it when I was gone."

I stared at him, waiting.

"Well – do you want to get out of the house tomorrow?" he asked smiling.

My eyes widened. "I thought you were going to keep an eye on me 24/7."

He laughed quietly. "Oh, believe me, I am. But I don't think you would like me very much if I kept you locked up at Charlie's all the time."

I rolled my eyes. "Edward, I was going to be locked up here anyway – even if Victoria wasn't here. You know that."

He lifted his eyes off me to look instead at my bricked over window. He sighed. "Even so, I hate feeling like I'm keeping you away from the finer things in life. And, well, that whole thing with the graduation party tomorrow… you did say you were going to be gone, didn't you?"

"Well – I guess…"

"So, are you interested in the arcade?" he asked smiling.

"The arcade? They actually have one in Forks?" I said, gaping.

"Well, they have one in Port Angeles. Mind you, it isn't very big, but still a fun place to go to when you're bored. So what do you say?" and he leaned in close, eyes looking intently into mine. "Will you come?" How could I say no to that?

"Okay, fine, I'll go to the arcade. But, I'll have you know that I'm terrible at arcade games of all sorts – I'm not very lucky."

He chortled. "Don't worry – I'll help you."

"Now explain to me how Charlie is going to let me go with you tomorrow. Remember, I'm the juvie here," I said sardonically.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to him," he smiled confidently.

"I think you're the last person he would want to talk to," I pointed out.

"Hum. And you think _I'm_ pessimistic?" he sneered.

"Fine, you talk to him, but I doubt it's going to work."

"We'll see about that."

He continued to rub my back and he shifted me on his lap so that I was lying next to him on my bed. I could feel his nose nuzzle the top of my head.

"Bedtime," he said softly.

I shook my head. "I have math homework…"

"You can do it later." he whispered into my hair. My eyes drooped when he started to hum to me.

"Not fair," I accused.

He ignored that and before I knew it, I lost consciousness in his arms.

-

My eyes fluttered open to the green glare of my alarm reading "12:03". I groaned when my stomach rumbled. Then I could feel the panic rise up in me when I remembered that I didn't finish all of my homework. Might as well get a midnight snack and then finish up the rest.

"Bella, what are you doing up?" Edward's voice came from my rocker over in the corner of my room.

"Homework – food," was all I said as I pushed myself out of bed and walked listlessly across my room to my bedroom door. I opened it and continued my trek to the kitchen. I could feel the slight passage of air behind me and I knew that Edward was following me.

When I entered the kitchen, I grabbed a slice of white bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a knife out of the silverware drawer. I proceeded to make myself a peanut butter sandwich. I noticed Edward slide into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and then set my math book on the table for me. I squished my sandwich together and put back all the ingredients – I threw my knife in the sink without bothering to wash it. Edward smirked at my half-dead form as I made my way to the chair seated across from him to finish my math homework. I took one bite of my sandwich when the phone rang. My heart raced at its sound. Edward's eyes widened, but, other than that, he didn't seem too alarmed. Placing my sandwich on the table, I rushed to pick up the phone, hoping it didn't wake up Charlie and wondering who would possibly call at this hour.

"Swan residence," I said softly into the receiver. "Who's calling?"

"Bella," a cool, soothing female voice answered. "I'm just checking up on you. It's nice to finally get to talk to you in person."

My mouth dropped. I couldn't respond. Edward tensed next to me, reading my expression.

"I'm also here to give you a little warning – to watch your back from now on okay? You never know when we'll – pop up," she intoned in a friendly manner.

"Victoria?" I managed to say.

In a flash, Edward grabbed the phone out of my hands and had it pressed up to his ear.

"You listen and you listen well. If you take so much as one _look_…" Edward snarled ferociously into the phone. I shuddered away, terrified at his sudden malice. His features darkened and then, so fast that I almost missed him do it, he smashed the phone into the kitchen wall. It broke into a hundred tiny pieces on the floor. I could feel my knees buckle beneath me and before I gave way, Edward caught me by the wrist and held me protectively against his stone body. Tears started to slide unwillingly down my cheeks.

-----

_**AN: **Wow. Funny how things turn out. This was initially going to be much, much shorter. I had inspiration in the middle of writing this that made it longer. XD Well, again, I hope you enjoyed. Sorry – the next one is going to take a VERY long time to write. It's going to be long..._


	7. The Most Dangerous Game

_**Author's Note: **Hopefully I have enough inspiration to start this chapter – it's very important to part of the plot, but for some reason, life has been getting to me and I've been procrastinating writing. :( I can't believe that I'm doing that too, especially on a Friday, when I have time. It's like 12:30 in the morning and I'm starting this because I know I'm going to be so stressed the following day! Blargh! DX Well, here comes the next chapter and I hope all you fans enjoy! Thanks for your continued support – your reviews are always such a heartwarming thing!_

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Twilight _or _New Moon _to any degree – rights belong to Stephenie Meyer._

**The Most Dangerous Game**

_Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you're gonna get. _

I don't think Forest quite understood how profound his mother's words were.

You seriously never know what life will throw at you.

A phone call from your arch enemy whom you thought had disappeared from your life can certainly throw you off guard.

That night I couldn't sleep. I was up and edgy – so was Edward. He tried to soothe me throughout the entire interminable hours of the morning – but I knew he didn't put much effort into it. Eventually my alarm clock rang making both of us jump at its sound. It was indeed probably the longest night of my life – longer than some of the nights when he was gone and I had only the nightmares to keep me company.

I hoped that today would be better.

"Get dressed Bella," Edward murmured into my ear. "I'll do the same while you're in the bathroom – then I want you to go downstairs like normal and eat breakfast with Charlie."

"What about the phone?" I panicked.

He rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Forget about the phone for a second – I'll have it handled."

"It's not like Charlie wouldn't notice were missing a phone!" I cried.

"I'm not worried about the phone right now Bella!" he hissed.

"What am I going to tell him? I don't think the whole story with the plate is going to work forever once he realizes we're missing a phone!"

He shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. "The phone will be back in place before you know it – it's your job to keep Charlie from noticing the phone is missing – just for this morning – until he goes to his office. Can you do that? Please?"

I sighed, defeated. "Yeah, hopefully."

He nodded. "Okay – then I'll come, ring the doorbell, and talk to Charlie."

My mouth literally dropped to the floor. "Wait – what?"

He smirked slightly. "I said I was going to take you out of the house today, did I not?"

I continued to gape at him as I said slowly, "Yeah, but I mean – after last night – I didn't think you'd…"

"Well, there's also a reason to it," his features became solemn as he carried on, "You're scent will be a bit harder to track if we get you around a lot of people and move you around from place to place. Plus, you'll be around all of us – my whole family will be able to protect you."

"Edward – you don't have to – "

"Don't start with me Bella," he looked sternly me, his glorious eyes piercing. "I'm not in the mood. Just, please, please – do it _my _way for once!"

I struggled in Edward's iron clasp, trying to get out of my bed. Eventually, he loosened his hold and I muttered a, "Fine," under my breath as I grabbed a change of clothes and stomped into the bathroom. I could feel Edward's fierce gaze on the back of my neck the whole time.

It could not have been ten minutes later when I was striding down the stairs into the kitchen. Charlie was sitting at the table, a coffee mug in his hand and a newspaper in his lap.

"Mornin' Bells," and then he snickered when he remembered last night, "Or, should I call you 'klutz' from now on?"

I grimaced. Last night, in our haste to come up with an excuse for the completely shattered phone on the floor, Edward commanded me to lay on the floor, obtain a dumbfounded expression across my features, and then he proceeded to break two of Charlie's nice – well, I suppose you could call them "nice" – plates. When Charlie strode into the kitchen, he came upon me, with the most insane, almost hysterical grin on my face, lying on the floor. I tried to push back the tears as I explained how I slipped on the tile and broke a plate while I was trying to make a midnight snack. Then, to extend the neat little lie, I said I hit my head against the cabinet in the process and another plate fell to the floor. Charlie appeared disbelieving but I thanked heaven that it was early morning, when one is the most incoherent, most grumpy, and the most uncaring – only caring about the sleep they would get when they arrived back into their bed. Charlie did just that. After commanding me to clean up my mess, he shuffled back to his bedroom to return to his dreams.

"Bella or Bells is just fine thanks," I said, trying to hold my composure. I made myself a bowl of cereal even though I was barely paying any attention to my actions. My mind was focused on what Edward was going to say to Charlie – how was he going to convince Charlie to let me out of the house for just one afternoon? I realized that Edward was doing this not only to keep me safe, I decided, but to keep Charlie safe as well.

I nibbled at my cereal and gave up when I took a bite that made me feel like my innards were going to fall out of my mouth. While I was rinsing off my dish, I heard a light knocking on the front door, followed by the ring of the doorbell. My heart gave a wild flutter as I dropped my bowl in the sink and went over to answer the door, praying that it was who I _wanted _it to be and not who I thought it might be.

"I'll get it," I said behind my shoulder to Charlie.

I placed my fingers tentatively on the doorknob and gulped when the door flung open.

"Hey Bella!" Edward said warmly in the entrance way. He was smiling, but at the same time, he wasn't. He was guarded – deluding Charlie. "Can I come in?"

"Erm – sure Edward," I said shakily.

The utter of his name sounded the alarm for Charlie. In faster than what I thought possible for him, he was standing behind me and eyeing Edward, his lips pressed together in a hard line.

"Hello Edward," he said tersely. "What are you doing here? You know Bella has rules."

He nodded to Charlie. "Yes, I know sir. But I wanted to ask you something Chief Swan," a sincere note touching his voice. He extended his hand in a friendly manner.

Charlie didn't react to Edward's gesture – not even extending his hand to shake. Instead, he continued to stare fiercely at Edward, his bottom lip protruding somewhat, waiting indignantly for the rest. Edward didn't move as he said, slowly, "Am I allowed inside?"

With not so much as a nod, Charlie moved to the side and Edward stepped into the foyer. After I shut the door, the three of us moved to the living room, Charlie and I sitting on the couch and Edward sitting towards us in the only chair. I was reminded faintly of this same set-up when Edward talked formally with Charlie for the first time.

"Chief Swan, I don't think its right to keep Bella inside the house for so long…" Edward began. He paused and his golden eyes examined Charlie for a moment, probably seeing if he was moving in the right direction with his speech. Charlie didn't say anything, just blinked. Edward persisted, "Bella barely had contact with the outside world when…" he stopped and didn't finish, instead continuing with something else. "So, I think you would agree with me when I say Bella hasn't had much of a life lately. She hasn't experienced the joys of life that everyone else should be. For heaven sakes, sir, I am hoping that you don't plan on keeping her imprisoned here during graduation!"

The corner of Charlie's mouth twitched.

"I'm not saying that Bella should not be punished for what she has done. I am on the right with you Chief Swan that some punitive actions must be taken – if I was a father, I'm sure I would be doing the same thing…" Edward's eyes flicked to mine briefly before focusing on Charlie again. I looked down at my fingers interlaced between each other – my thumbs playing their own thumb-war.

"But, please, I think she does deserve one day – one day for herself. I know you are very much opposed to me sir, for everything that I have done to your daughter, but… I…," he hesitated and then I could tell he edited something. "I will tell you now that she will be safe with me – no harm will come to her."

I couldn't read what expressions were forming on Charlie's features at the end of that speech. Sympathy, anger, reluctance, determination… perhaps it was a mix of all of them.

"Are you suggesting," he began crossly, "That I'm not a good father?"

Edward seemed to be expecting this and he replied in an even, honest tone, "Not at all – in fact, you are one of the most influential people I know. I am simply asking – no – _begging –_ for you to let Bella have one day to herself. I'm also asking for a little trust. That's all."

Charlie's eyebrows furrowed, but his eyes looked sympathetic. My palms were going sweaty with the anticipation of what Charlie's reply was going to be – I began to think that Edward's words were gently but deliberately getting to Charlie at his seams.

"Well, what, um, exactly did you two want to do?" Charlie said, squirming somewhat next to me.

Edward smiled wide and genially. "Actually, I was thinking of taking to Bella to the arcade down at Port Angeles today after school – if it's okay with you of course."

At that Charlie barked a laugh. "Ha! Bella at the arcade? Are you nuts?"

I shot Charlie a look and opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off. "She has no luck whatsoever – or any coordination either!"

Presently, Edward was shaking with quiet laughter too. I glared ferociously at him and I could see the struggle he had with stifling his laughs.

"No – I think she has luck, at least sometimes," Edward smirked at me. "But you're dead on about the coordination Chief Swan."

Charlie was still having a rough time trying to control his chuckles. "Okay – well, Edward -," he tried to regain his serious composure. He stared hard at him and said sternly, "I will let Bella go with you today, but, mind you, there are rules. First off, I don't want you guys home too late. Secondly, wear your seatbelts…" Charlie began to run off a list and the consequences if we should break any of the rules. Eventually, Edward gave Charlie his cell number so that I knew he could check up on me whenever he wanted. This was turning out wonderful, I recollected acidly.

I glanced at my watch and I jumped up from the sofa. Both Charlie and Edward flinched and looked at me.

"We got to go Edward – we're almost late!" I blurted as I rushed into the kitchen and grabbed my knapsack and books. The phone was still missing. My math book was still on the kitchen table. Two shattered plates were in the trashcan next to the sink. I shuddered as I ran with awkward feet back into the living room.

Edward was standing up and waiting for me. Charlie was still on the couch but he seemed to be having his own private battle within himself.

"Come on Bella, let's go," he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the front door.

"Edward…"

Edward turned when we reached the door to Charlie right behind us.

"Please take care of my girl," his eyebrows shifted into a line of worry as he extended his hand towards Edward's.

Edward looked back at Charlie, his eyes somber as he said, "I will sir – I promise you that." I knew he meant every word – there was no denying the sincerity in his perfect voice. Then Edward carefully took Charlie's extended hand into his and shook it. Charlie withdrew quickly.

"Whoa – Edward, you should put some gloves on! Your hands are frozen! What's the temp today? I thought it was going into the seventy's…" Charlie's eyes glimpsed over at the television, probably thinking of watching the Weather Channel before he left for work.

"Uh – Edward," I breathed. "We got to go."

Edward and Charlie exchanged brief nods and then Edward's free hand was on the doorknob, the other dragging me along. Together we exited the open door to face another day.

-

I don't understand why, but school has become quite trivial to me. The point of going and confronting each and every teacher, each and every class, and each and every student… the fact was, at least to me, school was _pointless_. I knew college was going to be better – I still had no idea where I was going to end up at though. My college applications were probably being pushed aside because I sent them in so late. But what was strange was I didn't seem to mind much. Graduation – that was what I was waiting for. Graduation – the date in which my entire life may change. Graduation – could I actually have Carlisle do it… or would I wait for Edward? I couldn't let him know how often I had been thinking about his proposal and how much I was leaning towards giving into his demands. But there was a part of me – the stubborn part – that wanted to get it over with so that he couldn't change his mind at the last minute. Plus, I had a family… Charlie, Renee, and Phil… I had to think of them before I could tell them about… marriage…

I had that "school is pointless" attitude today. Nothing seemed to make sense to me – my mind was running a million miles a minute and more than once Edward had to whisper answers to me when teachers asked me questions. I thought of Victoria and how she and her group could be watching us now, ready to massacre the school if necessary. I was thinking of Jacob and his face when I tore his heart in two. I was thinking of Edward's deal and whether I could accept it or not. And I thought of Charlie and how he was actually allowing me free of his heavy chains – at least for an afternoon. Then my mind, if it could escape all the stress of these thoughts, lingered briefly on thoughts of me at the arcade with Edward and his family. How would it go? I knew immediately I was going to be making a fool of myself.

It was no surprise then that the day passed in a dull haze. My mind was distracted and even when Mike came up to me after gym to give another half-hearted shot at inviting me to the senior graduation party that afternoon, I barely understood what he was asking or even talking about. Declining for the second time, leaving Mike broken and Lauren surveying the scene with interest, I hurried to lunch in the same zombie-like state that I had once occupied for four months straight.

"Bella."

"Huh – what?" I looked dully up at Edward who was opening the door to his Volvo for me.

"Do you still want to go to the arcade?" he was frowning, concerned. Did I honestly look that terrible?

I smiled, hoping to present the right enthusiasm for him. "Of course I do! I'm ready to lose my share of tokens!"

He grinned, but his eyes still looked saddened. "Alright, only if you want to."

I stepped into the car and he gently closed the door behind me. He walked gracefully around to the driver seat. Once he was inside, we zoomed to Charlie's house.

Placing my knapsack back in the kitchen, I gaped at the countertop. Sitting there was an exact replica of Charlie's broken phone – restored back to its original state. What threw me even more off-balance was the fact that it didn't look totally brand new. It had the same dullness of an older phone and the plain smell of something that wasn't taken directly from a wrapped package.

"How did you manage to fix the phone?" I asked Edward in disbelief.

He laughed heartily. "What? You think I sat there and put that phone back together piece by piece?" He shook his head still smiling. "No, that's brand new."

"But it doesn't even look brand-new! It looks exactly the same as the other one!"

"Good," Edward nodded in approval. "Charlie won't notice then."

"How did you do it?" I interrogated.

"I didn't do a thing – it was the joint effort of Carlisle and Esme while we were at school."

"Hummm," I frowned, put the phone back, and rushed up to my room to grab the sock between my mattress and box springs that held my meager supply of money. I took everything that was in there and placed it in a tattered purse of mine. Afterwards, I returned downstairs, to find Edward sitting at the kitchen table, leaning back on the chair so that he was supported only by two legs, his own long legs stretched out in front of him. He hands were on the back of his head and he was staring at the ceiling, concentrating.

"Your father left you a note by the way," he said without looking at me. One of his hands straightened up in the air before him and I noticed he was holding a small post-it note. I grabbed it out of his hands as he leaned forward and put the chair back on its four legs.

_Bella - _

_Hope you have a nice time today. Not sure when I'll be back so if you get home before me don't be surprised. I wanted to tell you that I love you and that I want you to watch that Cullen boy. I don't want you doing anything that you don't want to. If anything gets out of hand, you know where to call. See you tonight._

_- Charlie_

"Well," I said after I finished reading the letter. "Better start fulfilling Chief Swan's wishes."

"And what would those wishes be?"

"Allowing me to have a good time," I smiled mischievously at him as we moved out the front door.

"Oh," he chuckled darkly when he looked back down at me. "You will."

-

"You mean we can't all fit in the same car?" Alice pouted.

"All eight of us? You got to be kidding Alice!" Emmett frowned. "We'll be cramped."

Edward sighed. "Look – Alice, Jasper, Bella, and I will take the Volvo. The rest of you can take the Corvette."

"Sounds reasonable," Carlisle nodded.

This let loose an explosion.

"Wait – I want to ride with you guys!" Emmett said.

"No – Jasper and I will," Alice said, glaring up at the mass that was Emmett.

"Emmett, I want to take the Corvette," Rosalie said roughly, but she no longer had the menace in her voice that she once did when she was around me.

Emmett ignored her. "Alice, you get to see Bella _every day_…"

"If Bella came with us it would be a pleasant catch-up on the things we missed while we were away," Esme said thoughtfully.

Now Edward sounded. "No – Bella's staying close to me."

"Edward, we'd keep just as good of an eye on her as you," Carlisle said softly.

I think Edward growled somewhat.

"Okay-okay!" I said, eyes widening, exasperated. "Why are we arguing about car seats?" I shook my head. "How about this: Edward, Alice, Emmett and I will take the Volvo. Jasper, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme in the Corvette. Is that okay?"

They all stared at me for a moment. Jasper and Alice exchanged glances, along with Emmett and Rosalie. I amended quickly, "Then on the way home, Alice and Jasper can come with Edward and me. The rest of you will be in Rosalie's car."

Rosalie rolled her eyes but Emmett was grinning.

"Sure, that'll work," he said.

"Terrific," and Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the Volvo. "Are you ready to win some tickets?"

"More like ready to lose them," I murmured bitterly.

Alice frowned once we got in the car. Edward and I took the two front seats with Emmett and Alice in the back.

"Bella," she shook her head and looked up at the car roof. "You are so ridiculously pessimistic about your own abilities. You really should try thinking positive."

Emmett chuckled. "Hey I'll help you out Bella – don't worry."

I shuddered at the thought of Emmett's help and I saw out of the corner of my eye Edward crack a smile as we pulled out of his families driveway and onto the road to Port Angeles.

-

As soon as Edward parked outside the mall and opened the door for me, I staggered out, stumbling on my own feet. I was weak from laughing so hard. Emmett and Alice were quite the pair to be around.

"Wait, wait," Alice said looking up at Emmett. "You went streaking before or after you went in the lake?"

"After – all of us were wet and nude. It was hilarious! Yeah – those were the days back in the 1930s… So much social change. You don't get much of that nowadays. No more reform. The 1960s and 70s were interesting though. Woodstock…" and Emmett grinned, a wide grin and then nodded pensively. "Yeah, Woodstock was great."

Edward shook his head in disgust. "You think Woodstock was great?"

Emmett shot Edward a disbelieving look. "Yeah – Rose and I had an awesome wedding that year. Wasn't that the year she dressed up in the bright pink gown?"

Edward rolled his eyes and said, "Yes. She looked like a fruit-loop."

My mouth dropped a fraction of an inch. How Edward could think Rosalie looked like a "fruit-loop" in any stage of their – _existence _– was simply beyond me.

"A 'fruit-loop'? I happened to like that outfit!" Emmett retorted.

"That was because, at the time, you didn't have any sense in fashion whatsoever," Alice smirked. "Today if you looked at the pictures, you'd probably agree with us."

"Woodstock," Edward huffed. "You call that music? All it was was a bunch of drug induced psychotics singing whatever came into their mind."

"Hey – that's not true! Some of the best music happened in the 1960s and 70s!" Emmett said angrily. "You had Jimmie Hendrix, the Who…"

Edward pursed his lips. "Look, let's not get into another confrontation about our music preferences. This has happened on more than one occasion."

"I still don't understand why you hated Woodstock!" Emmett said indignantly.

We were walking in the small, one-story mall now but I was barely paying attention to our surroundings, too engrossed in the conversation that revealed to me the nature of my soon-to-be-permanent (hopefully) family.

"Because…" Edward sounded exasperated. "I told you… It was just a bunch of kids with marijuana and LSD, thinking more about 'free love' than peace. Trust me, I _know_," he looked sternly at Emmett. "Plus, the music was way below standard. Just rewritten folktales in my point of view – nothing innovative, like many people thought."

Emmett gritted his teeth. "When I get home, I swear I'm going to show you some _real _music."

Edward groaned and rubbed his temples. I laughed at how strange the conversation had become.

We walked onward in silence. The mall was swarming with people, happy that the day was Friday. Because this was the only mall for probably another 100 miles, it was nice to come to when you had time to make the journey. I stayed close to Edward, Alice, and Emmett and, like all of them, I was watchful of my environment.

Then I caught the bright, eye-boggling neon colors that signaled the approach of the arcade. Loud music and strange buzzing and zapping noises were coming out of the opening before us. A counter stood in front of the opening and a person was stationed behind it. The person was smiling broadly at us. It was a female with pin-straight blonde hair and astonishing blue eyes that were staring at Edward and Emmett with obvious pleasure.

"Hello," she said, her voice thick with expectations as we approached the counter. "What can I do for you _guys _today?"

"Um -," I said up to the woman. Her eyes darted unwillingly to me and then flicked between Edward and Emmett. She looked pleased – not too much competition with my average self.

"Yes?" she said.

I looked at the prices for tokens and forced down the panic that was rising in my throat. Had I ever see that much money in my life? "I'd like – "

"Four Super-Charged cards please," Edward inserted in soft, compelling tone.

I was sure that if the woman was in a cartoon, her eyes would have been shooting out of her sockets. "Four Super-Charged cards coming right up!" she said jovially as she slipped out four orange plastic cards from beneath her counter and slid them through the scanner. My own eyes scanned the price list for the cards and, again, I stifled a jolt of panic in my stomach. I reached into my wallet and took out the amount needed.

"Here," I handed the money to Edward.

His head turned to me and then he glanced down at the money in my hands. Suddenly, his features contorted into something unreadable. He looked almost angry. "Put that away Bella."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why?"

"Because – this is _my _treat," he said, staring hard at me when he said the "my" part.

I shook my head stubbornly. "Why is it that _you _always pay for everything?! I've had enough! I need to contribute my share!" I was going to slam my money on the counter dramatically, but, unfortunately, Edwards hand caught mine before I did so. Emmett snickered behind him. The woman behind the counter look flustered and decided to turn her attention away from Edward to examine Emmett's brawn more closely.

"Oh no you don't. You're not paying a cent!" and then his hands worked delicately up my wrist until he was able to pry the money from my hands. Then he reached for my other hand, which was still holding my wallet, and slipped the money back in its pocket. His crooked grin appeared on his features and it nearly took my breath away. "Do you understand?"

"Fine," I said hotly, although, if I tried harder, I probably would have sounded fiercer.

"That'll be 247 dollars and 83 cents," the woman said to Emmett.

Edward pulled out the black card from his wallet but the woman shook her head sadly.

"I'm sorry – we only take MasterCard, Visa, or cash," she said sorrowfully. Oh how she hated to be an inconvenience to these fine creatures before her.

"That's okay," Edward smiled pleasantly. He pulled out of his pocket a roll of bills that took not only the woman behind the counter by surprise, but me as well. Edward laid down five 50's on the counter and said sweetly, "Keep the change."

The woman gaped at us, opened her mouth to say something, closed it, and then opened it again to say "Thank you." She tried in her last attempt in speaking with them to layer her voice with a seductive tone. To her disappointment, it proved ineffective as we steered around the counter with the orange cards in our hands.

"Where are Jasper, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme?" I questioned aloud as I stared around at my new surroundings.

I could tell the establishment was built in the 80's sometime. The floor was a black carpet with geometric shaped patterns in the floor – all in different bright, neon colors. The area was dark, most of the light coming off of the arcade games. There were a few black-lights hanging from the ceiling and when the four of us stood underneath one I watched as my white sneakers glowed in the dark.

"They're stopping at a few shops right now," Edward said and then snorted, "Rosalie had to visit 'Victoria's Secret' before she came here."

I felt my stomach squirm when I remembered that I actually owned a pair of silk pajama's from "Victoria's Secret". I turned my head to the side to look at Edward and my breath caught in my mouth. All three of them were glowing under the black-light – just like my white sneakers. I realized that since their skin was so pale, white almost, there was no reason for them not to glow. It was still astounding.

Edward, noticing my prying eyes, smiled back at me as I tried to keep my heart under control.

"So, what do you want to do first?" Edward grinned.

"Hey – wait a second!" Alice chimed in suddenly. Her four-foot-nine-inch self moved in front of Edward and she stared up at him. "We have a score to settle – remember?"

Edward narrowed his eyes at her and was about to say something but Alice cut him off.

"Don't tell me you're chicken," her voice sang softly.

Edward leaned into her face and said dangerously, "I'm no chicken."

"Then let's go."

Emmett shook his head, eyes up at the ceiling. "I'm going to shoot some hoops. Want to come Bella?"

"Um – sure?" I said hesitantly.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "You don't want to see them go at it, trust me."

A small kid walked by and was being dragged by his mother by the hand. He had light colored blonde hair and was watching the four of us with a strange sort of fascination in his eyes. I realized that it was truly not normal for human's skin to glow like Edward's, Emmett's, and Alice's were now. The little boy pointed a finger at us and was trying to say something to his mom but his mother silenced him with, "Come on Johnny. I've had enough of this place."

Edward tensed suddenly at my side and then pulled me out of the black-light. Alice and Emmett followed.

"What's wrong?" Alice said.

Edward's eyebrows furrowed and then he smirked. "The child thinks we're all superheroes."

"Well, I have to admit, you _are _a hero – all of you," I smiled hugely and my mind filled with memories of past experiences.

Edward's features softened and he leaned toward me but Alice cut him off.

"You – me – now," she said, one of her eyebrows raised – taunting him.

"Fine," he sighed and, after giving me one last longing look, left with Alice at his side.

"Hey, Emmett, what are they -," I started.

"Don't ask," Emmett said frowning. "It happens _every _time we come here. I wouldn't mind to go check it out later though."

I shrugged and pointed to a few bright machines that were located in front of me. "I'll just be over here okay?"

"Mmm, sure thing," Emmett replied, walking swiftly over to a row of basketball hoops.

I walked awkwardly towards the machines in front of me. Kids were running everywhere, holding buckets of tickets in there hands, and laughing as they smacked the buttons on the machines with deliberate force. I reflected on a memory of Renee and me going to an arcade like this in Phoenix – except ten times bigger. I was about six or seven at the time and, like everyone else, I would run (and repeatedly trip) around and play anything I could get my hands on. The next thing I remembered was sitting on a blue plastic bench towards the back of the building and crying to myself. In my hands sat an empty bucket of tickets – the few strips of tickets I did win where stolen by an older kid who had rushed off before I could get a good look at his face. Renee was on the bench next to me, patting my back encouragingly – her face drawn and solemn. I flinched from the memory – regretting how much trouble I caused my mom when I sobbed uncontrollably and wished for more tokens so that I could get tickets to win prizes just like the rest of the children – but I knew that was something she couldn't do.

I stopped in front of a machine that had a plastic dome over a circular row of lights. Immediately I recognized what game it was – one of those "stop-the-light-in-the-right-place" machines. The object was to get the ring of lights that circled around the inside of the machine to stop between the two lighted arches in front of you. If you were successful, you won the jackpot amount of tickets. I scanned my orange card into the slot below me to start the game. The game clicked to life and I waited with my hand over the "stop" button for the light to be in the right place. Eyeing the ring of light twisting around before me, I prepared for the right moment. I told myself that I could do it, if I believed. I imagined my hand was a snake, fast like lightning – I was going to hit it exactly right. One – two – SMACK!

The machine played a brief, tinker-sounding bit of music that lilted to a sad hanging note at the end. I stomped my foot on the ground angrily. I had missed the two arches by two inches. Below me, one ticket zipped out of its slot – a ticket for _trying_.

Perturbed, I slipped my orange card back into the slot. The game started again – my hand hovering over the "stop" button. SMACK!

The "sorry-loser" music played once again and another ticket shot out of its slot for me. I groaned and swiped my card once more. Leaning my body weight on my left leg, my free hand on my hip, I prepared for yet another round.

Ten minutes later, I was walking heatedly away from the machine and shoving twenty tickets – the twenty sympathy tickets I received from the game – down my pocket. I stamped in front of another game that looked promising – it was, again, one of those "stop-the-light-in-the-right-place" games, but the lights on this one seemed to go much slower. Suddenly, I felt sure that I would be able to win this game. I had no idea where the surge of confidence came from, but it was short-lived. After playing the game once, I trampled away, my mood blackening. I had lost again – this time the light stopping no less than three inches from the designated target area.

I continued to walk around idly for awhile, stopping every so often to attempt a game that caught my interest. I realized that video games were not my forte – Charlie was right about my luck – and about my dexterity. The most tickets I won at any one game was ten – for landing the light at yet another "stop-the-light-in-the-right-place" game at the "10 tickets" slot – the lowest amount of tickets you could leave with. I sighed – why did all of these games have to do with reflexes?

Suddenly, I spotted Jasper step around a row of machines in front of me. They were different than the majority of the flashing machines because they had seats in front of a video screen to sit on and a steering wheel poking out in front. Racecar games. My lips curled upward. Now _here _was something with potential.

"Hey Jasper! Wait for me!" I called after him.

Jasper froze and turned slowly in my direction. His expression was surprised.

"Hi Bella," he said warmly.

I caught up with him and smiled. He smiled back and suddenly I felt really at ease and happy – I think Jasper had something to do with that.

"When did you guys get here?" I asked him pleasantly.

"Actually, just about five minutes ago," he cocked his head to the side, staring at me.

"Are you going to race?" I questioned, my grin growing.

He blinked and one eyebrow rose in disbelief. "You race?"

My grin deteriorated. "Um – no, but," I simpered again, hoping, "Can't be much different than actual driving right? I'm pretty good at that."

Jasper grinned again, his eyes light. "No, not _too _much." He surveyed the machines around us and said, "Come – let's do this one."

I followed as he walked briskly ahead of me and sat in a "vehicle" in one fluid motion. I mirrored him, taking the seat to his left.

We swiped our cards and I was taken aback when the game yelled in my face, "READY RACERS?! CHOOSE CAR!"

I glanced over at Jasper who had chosen his car by moving the steering wheel around and then hitting the gas pedal beneath his foot to select it. I copied that – picking, I think, a Porsche – maybe a Mercedes… I was car deficient so I didn't care so much.

"PICK TRANSMISSION!"

I did as the game commanded, choosing a standard automatic. Jasper surprised me by picking manual.

"COURSE SELECT!"

"What difficulty level do you want to go at?" Jasper turned his amber eyes to me.

"Uh – does it really matter? I mean, you're just driving a car," I said blandly, quickly regretting what I said when Jasper snickered quietly.

"Let's just do medium for now and then see if you feel prepared for the next level. Sunset Shores is a medium difficulty level."

I nodded and selected "Sunset Shores". The game responded to my selection by shouting "WAITING FOR ADDITIONAL PLAYERS!" in my face. Frowning, I tapped my foot on the gas pedal, waiting impatiently for it to load. From my peripheral vision, I could see Jasper staring at me with amusement.

Finally, the game loaded and I was behind a blue car on the screen. A half-naked pixilated woman walked out into the middle of the screen with a checkered flag in her hand. She counted, "Three, two, one – go!" and then waved the flag frantically in front of us.

Suddenly, I was experiencing a jolt of adrenaline in my system – I _really _wanted to beat Jasper. I slammed my foot on the gas and my car lurched forward on the screen. The first turn was coming up and I was cherishing the feeling of being ahead of Jasper too much that I didn't decrease my speed at all – only twisting the steering wheel to the left sharply.

That's where I went wrong. The car swung out of control, making loud screeching noises, and careening around in the wrong direction. Jasper's green car ganged up on me and swerved effortlessly out of my way – along with the rest of the other computer operated racecars. My car was still spinning along and didn't stop until I crashed into a wall over on the side of the screen and then flipped over. I hit my forehead on the wheel, cursing under my breath for not thinking the game through. Jasper obviously knew there was more to it than _driving_ – there had to be some strategy. My car flashed back to life on the screen. It was repaired and put in the right direction. I sped forward, hoping in vain that I could catch up to Jasper. Next to me, I could hear Jasper laugh at my attempt to gain back up on him. It was futile for sure – he was already a lap ahead of me at least. Plus, the car was giving me unnecessary trouble – especially on turning and stopping. I kept losing control of the car, which resulted in me having to start over again.

To my relief, the game ended when Jasper crossed the finish line first. He did gain an entire lap on me – and just to taunt me even further, he passed by me towards the end of the game and hit me into another wall. Shaking my head, I got up from the game and muttered, "Video games suck," under my breath. Jasper was beside me, chortling freely.

"You're fun to play with – sure you don't want to go again?" he offered.

"No, I'm sure," I eyed him. "I'm just going to look around at some more games."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." Then he turned on his heel and glided swiftly over to another area on the gaming floor.

After I watched him go, I sauntered absent-mindedly over to some of the games that I missed. I saw Emmett at the game in which you use a hammer to try to bang the bell at the top of a tall, vertical tower. It was Emmett's turn and he was holding the hammer in his hands – I tried not to show any emotion when he fluidly swung the hammer around his torso and hit the targeted area, sending the corresponding block to shoot up towards the bell like a missile. When it did hit the bell, there was an ear-splitting BANG! – it almost sounded like the bell cracked. I stared as Emmett grabbed his prize, a huge stuffed bear, from a dumbstruck attendant and walked away as quickly as possible from the scene. Putting my head in my hands, I turned the corner into another section. I looked up and saw Rosalie at a claw machine – it appeared as if she was pulling out her sixth item worth of fake jewelry. To Rosalie's right was a row of ski-ball machines. At the farthest machine from me, Carlisle and Esme were competing against each other at the game. To me at least, it seemed completely pointless – they were making the 100 point slot every single time. Little kids at the game dropped their balls to watch them, mouths wide open and astonished. I noticed a few envious kids throw their balls roughly at the rings – hoping to make a basket instead of rolling the balls into the holes. I giggled to myself as I watched Carlisle and Esme smile at each other – amused by how the kids had taken a liking to them.

As I ambled off into yet another area, something caught my eye. A large crowd of boisterous teenagers and a few younger children were congregating in the far corner of the building. As I got closer, I could hear some of them cheering while still others booed. The two boys directly in front of me, both of them unusually tall, turned to each other grinning.

"Dude – I'm betting on the guy – he's so fast!" said one of the guys whose sandy-blond hair was pulled back into a pony-tail – his face showing the first hints of stubble.

"No way man! I'm betting on the girl – did you see her? She's hardcore!" said the second guy, whose curly black hair almost covered his eyes completely.

"Betcha ten bucks the girl gets her ass whooped," the pony-tail guy dared.

"You're on – but, I'm tellin' you, he's going down!" replied the second guy defiantly.

"Excuse me," I said hesitantly to the curly black haired boy. "What's going on?"

He looked down at me and said, "Girl – you have to see for yourself."

Frustrated, I started to push through all the bodies in front of me, wanting to discover what was causing all the pandemonium. Annoyed, many people pushed back and argued. I ignored the disgruntled kids and continued wiggle my way through. I was reminded of another situation in which I was forced to make it through a crowd of people, but I shooed it away quickly. It was not something I wanted to think about at a time like this.

There was a light in front of me – a break in the crowd. I struggled my way through the last of the crowd and found myself standing face-to-face with –

"Alice?" I said awe-struck.

She wasn't paying attention to me however. All her focus and concentration was centered on the table in front of her – an air hockey table. In her pale right hand was the object used to try and bang the hockey puck into the opponents' goal. I watched in wide-eyed fervor as her hand flew effortlessly across the table to hit the hockey puck with accurate speed back to her adversary. Once I was able to shut my wide-open mouth and look over at the other side of the table, it was already open again.

Standing on the opposite side was Alice's opponent – Edward. He was just as concentrated on the table as Alice – his white hand moving fast and precisely to the hockey puck wherever Alice hit it. His amazing topaz eyes flicked a fraction of a second to me and then back onto the table where he was grinning. Just then, a loud click sounded and I heard some more booing and cheering behind me. Edward straightened and said, sneering at Alice, "It's a tie now." I realized then what had happened. I looked over at Alice, who was frowning, her eyebrows bent forward, very much annoyed. On the scoreboard, hanging above the table, it read "6:6".

"One more point and you lose," she said smoothly to Edward as she placed the hockey puck back on the table.

Edward looked back at Alice and said with an air of menace, "You wish. I know everything you're thinking."

"And I know everything you're going to do," Alice replied bluntly, a smile etching her features.

I laughed a little – only I would understand what they meant in the context of that.

Alice shot the puck off from where she was standing with a small flick of her wrist. The crowd roared as the game went on. _If only they saw them play baseball_, I thought smiling to myself. I knew immediately that the two of them, although playing competitively now, could be going so much faster if they wanted to. I was startled that they haven't broken the table in two. They were being extra cautious with an audience present.

So suddenly that I didn't even catch it, the puck flew into one of the goals. There was an ear-splitting cheer from the people behind me – while still others shook their heads sadly. In the back of the swarm of people, I saw the tall, blonde, pony-tailed guy shake his head sadly and hand the triumphant curly haired teen ten dollars.

Alice was unexpectedly at my side in one graceful, merry hop.

"Wow, Alice…" my voice trailed when I couldn't think of what else to say.

I felt something cool and soothing grasp my right hand.

"So this was what you two were up to," I said when my heart was able to beat normally again.

Edward nodded, looking a bit irked. He was staring at Alice with a sort of envy. I suppressed a giggle. Edward wasn't perfect after all.

"What did you think Bella?" Alice spoke lightly.

"Amazing as usual – you even managed to gain a few fans on the way," I nodded over towards the few people lingering behind us.

Edward leaned close to me and asked, "Are you a fan?"

"Always been one," I choked out, staring at him.

He laughed, kissed me in the crevice between my jaw and my neck, and withdrew quickly – staring hard at the few remaining people watching at us. His eyes told them all they needed to know – they rushed off in a hurry, eyes wide and resentful.

Alice, sensing the moment, intoned, "I think I see Jasper over at the basketball hoops," and left with a lilt in her step and a smile too wide for even me to accomplish.

Edward, staring at Alice as she walked away, said softly, "Alice is the only one I can really play one-on-one with because each of us has a fair advantage of winning." His eyes flickered to me as he grinned and tapped his forehead lightly. I nodded, understanding.

"I see – I could tell both of you were holding back though."

He shrugged. "If we didn't, the table would have fallen apart."

"Yeah, I thought about that later," I admitted, laughing slightly.

"So," Edward put his arms around my waist and led me forward, "How much tickets have you won so far?"

I groaned and stopped walking. He watched me as my hand flew into my pocket and extracted my total of forty measly tickets.

He shook his head in disbelief. "Bella – that's it?"

I gave him a look and stalked off in front of him. He caught up with me easily.

"I'm sorry," he was struggling not to laugh. "I didn't realize you were truly that…"

"Bad?" I said sardonically as I turned to him glaring.

"No," he shook his head frowning. "I was going to say unlucky I guess." He took my head suddenly and said as he stared intensely into my eyes, "I know something that you would be good at."

"And what's that?"

He didn't answer as he kissed the back of my hand gently and then abruptly began to pull me forward. I stumbled as goose-bumps rose up my arm.

"Here," he stopped and I nearly banged into him.

My heart flipped as I glared at what he was going to force me to do.

"No," I murmured, my head slowly shaking back and forth.

"Yes," he said simply and pulled me inside.

I was surprised that I wasn't claustrophobic when we sat down on the two-seater bench and pulled the black curtain closed. I guess it was because I was so close to him and I was focusing more on controlling my unreliable heart.

"I think we should do ten pictures – does that sound reasonable?"

I nodded, staring at what was in front of me.

We were inside a photo booth and a huge mirror made up a portion of the machine before us. Edward was leaning forward and fiddling with the contraption while I stared at the two of us in the mirror. I tried to push back the horrible feeling of inadequacy as I pulled my eyes off myself in the mirror.

"There," he said and sat back up on the bench. He raised one of his long, white fingers and tapped a green button that was on a keypad in front of us.

I jumped and Edward laughed when the machine said suddenly, "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. PLEASE PREPARE FOR YOUR FIRST PICTURE."

I swear I was never going to get used to machines talking to me.

A red light began to flash in front of us from what I realized to be a camera lens above the mirror.

"Quick!" Edward said urgently as he smiled and took me into his arms. I clasped my arms around his chest and we pressed our cheeks together, both of us turning to smile at the camera.

The flashing red light began to get faster until it looked like it was vibrating. Then a brighter white flash occurred and I was momentarily stunned.

"Alright, the next one!" Edward said exuberantly.

The red light was flashing again and Edward leaned towards the camera and made a face that almost drove me up the wall. He was gritting his teeth at the camera and growling – making a huge effort to contort his face to look furious – but it was so funny! I copied him, leaning forward towards the camera and making an angry face.

The camera flashed again.

As the red light started on its flashing cycle once more, I leaned back against the booth, put my hands over my stomach, placed my chin on my neck, and bloated my cheeks. Edward began to laugh hysterically next to me.

"Bella -" he gasped.

The red light was flashing faster.

"Are you going -" but before I could finish my question, Edward laid his head on my shoulder, his eyes closed and his face angled towards the camera. He puffed out his cheeks just like I did and bent his chin forward. We looked like a couple of over-fed people taking a nap.

A white flash.

"Here," I placed my hands on either side of Edward's head. Then I used my fingers to pull the corners of his eyes upward to make them narrow and look Asian. It wasn't easy either – his marble skin was not very pliable.

He chuckled when he looked at himself in the mirror. He moved his hands delicately on either side of my face as well and pulled my eyes upward.

Another bright flash.

"How about this," Edward placed his hand on the back of my neck, scooped up my brown hair between his fingers, and pulled it up over my head. I laughed and took as much of Edward's bronze hair into my hand as possible and pulled it up over his head. Both of us turned our heads slightly towards the camera grinning.

Flash!

We released each other's hair and then I looked towards the camera, widened my eyes, and made my mouth as small as possible, trying to develop my best "shock" face. Edward chuckled next to me and I felt something cold on my neck but before I could figure out what it was, the camera zapped us again.

"Hmmm," Edward murmured next to me. He picked up one of my hands carefully between both of his and raised it up to his lips. He stared at me, with that all-to-familiar desire in his eyes again, and kissed my hand delicately.

Flash!

The camera didn't seem to matter anymore – Edward was sliding closer to me on the bench and bending forward. He closed his eyes and worked his hands around my back so that I was pressed against his firm body. He kissed my neck.

Flash!

Edward pulled away, looked deeply into my eyes, and began to lean forward slowly. As he drew near, I could smell his heady scent that drove me nearly insane. His hands crawled up my back until they were on either side of my face, holding me in place. His soft, cool lips pressed against mine…

Flash!

My hands flung behind his head so that I was pressing him closer to me. He didn't fight me or pull away either, compensating so that he was actually pressing my back against the side of the photo booth.

Flash!

"PRINTING PICTURES."

We both jumped off each other at the sound, gasping. Suddenly, Edward laughed mischievously to himself.

"See, I told you that you would be good at this game."

I shook my head numbly, trying to relax my jittery body.

A little "Zip!" sound happened somewhere close to me. I turned to my side to see the strip of pictures printing out from a slot in the booth. Edward's hand jolted out before mine to grab the pictures.

"Hmmm, I especially like the last one," he said softly.

He handed me the pictures and I took them tentatively.

I laughed at the first few pictures on the strip and then my heart sped up when I reached the last few. The cold thing that was pressing against my neck in the sixth picture was Edward's hand. He was making a suggestive face next to my shocked one, his mouth slightly open, leaning in next to his hand on my neck…

I looked at the last one. My heart began to do aerial flips inside my chest. Edward caught my expression and took me up in his arms again. He whispered in my ear, "What do you think?"

His scent flowed into my nostrils as I pressed my lips lightly to his, slipping my fingers through his hair. I withdrew smiling broadly.

He exhaled slowly and said, "Glad you like them."

-

"Which one do you want?"

I was staring in front of a row of prizes, shaking my head feverishly.

"Edward, I don't want anything! Bringing me here is enough!"

He shook his head just a furiously. "Please Bella, can't I get you something?"

I didn't deserve anything – I only contributed forty tickets to the immense amount that Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme were able to win. Alice won the most – especially at the fake slot machines. She would walk past the machines and then stop at a few, slide her card, and the buzzers would ring that she one the jackpot. If only I had her psychic abilities, I thought bitterly.

But, in all honesty, I truly didn't want anything. I was so low maintenance – and all these prizes were extremely beyond anything I could imagine myself using or even wanting. I don't think Edward quite understood how different it was for me to go out like this for casual purposes only, instead of for vacation or something like that.

"Look – I _really_ don't want anything!" I nearly shouted.

Alice butted in, "Edward, what if I want something? Or Emmett? Jasper? What about the rest of us?"

Saved by Alice.

Edward stepped aside, visibly seething, and let the rest of the family choose something. Alice got a huge stuffed bear, not unlike the one Emmett won. Rosalie received some frilly looking purse, Jasper got a CD that he thought he would like, Emmett also got a CD, and Carlisle and Esme weren't interested in any of the prizes. Edward went up to the counter and, using the last of the tickets we won, got a bunch of candy bars.

"Candy bars?" I said puzzled. Vampires don't eat candy bars. "Why did you get candy bars? You could have gotten anything – and you got candy bars?"

He rolled his eyes and shoved all the candy bars in my direction. "They're for you silly."

I gaped at him and then said, "But I told you I didn't want anything!"

"And I deliberately got you something anyway," he smiled malevolently. "Who doesn't like candy bars?"

I sighed and took the candy bars from his hands.

"You didn't have to," I breathed, exasperated.

"But I wanted to," he answered candidly.

And the eight of us walked smoothly out of the arcade, smiling wistfully.

-

It was nightfall; the sun ray's making their last appearance over the horizon before us. I was staring blankly out the passenger's seat window thinking about life and about my day. We had stopped at the food court before we went to the parking lot – Edward understanding my need to eat about every four hours. To my dismay, I realized that I didn't want to go home. I could sit in this car with my family – all the people I've fallen in love with – forever. I continued to watch the blurring landscapes of the forest out the window while Alice talked up a storm in the back seat.

"Now I have to gloat, just a bit Edward," she said.

Edward groaned in the passenger seat. He was holding my hand again, his thumb making circular motions in my palm.

"You see – _knowing _how a game is going to turn out in the end is much better than trying to read someone's every move throughout the entire match, hoping to change the future," she said, full of herself.

"The future is never set in stone," Edward muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing at the road in front of him.

"True – but obviously my vision was -" and Alice's voice cut off mid-sentence as she inhaled sharply.

Edward tensed abruptly next to me and his golden eyes, although staring at the road, seemed to be looking at something much different.

"Edward, slow down," Jasper said hurriedly from the backseat. "Alice is having a vision." Then Jasper was addressing Alice, "Alice! Alice?! What do you see?"

Something in the pit of my stomach told me the world wasn't right. Instinct jolted me up in my seat – something was wrong.

"Edward!" Alice screamed from behind us.

And then several things happened simultaneously before my eyes as the adrenaline coursed through my body.

Edward suddenly slammed on the brakes of the car but it was too late.

The world seemed to slow as I moved my eyes off of Edward, who was trying desperately to control the car, and onto the road before me.

There, standing in the middle of the road was a small female, her white-blonde hair swaying in the oncoming wind. But the headlights from the Volvo illuminated the girl in such a way for me to make out some distinct features – the pale, almost white skin – the red, fiery eyes – the lean, strong body…

And the brake was doing nothing – we were heading straight for her – and she wasn't moving.

I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out. My heart was pounding in my ears as the girl's insidious red eyes turned from looking at Edward in the car to me – and then she smiled. She extended her hands in front of her as the car made contact with her…

Edward leaped out of his seat and before I understood what was happening, I was being clutched against his marble body while the car began to rotate around us. I could see glass shards floating in the air before my eyes. Crashing and banging sounds were happening everywhere but I couldn't register what they were coming from. And then Edward and I hit the ground somewhere – my head hitting something hard. The world began to blacken and dissolve before my eyes…

-----

_**AN: **Geez – man. .. This turned out absurdly long – sorry if it was waaaaaaaay to much fluff. I got a little carried away with the arcade. XD_

_Oh, and about the chapter title. I got inspiration for the title from a short story I read in like 7th grade called "The Most Dangerous Game". I suggest you read it – it's one of my favorites by Richard Connel. Anyway, it seemed to fit with what was going on in this chapter. _

_Okay, well, be patient with me because the next chapter is going to be relatively long as well. Plus, I'm on spring break and I'm going to be gone for a few days so no writing! Hopefully, the next chapter will be up within the next 2-3 weeks :)_


	8. Interview with a Vampire

_**Author's Note: **__Okay – this chapter is going to be a bit strange – I mean, really strange. .. I hope everyone understands that the reason that I write is not only to please others, but also because I get inspiration to write things. Well, funny how inspirations can sort-of pop out of nowhere. I decided that instead of going with the chapter that I originally planned, I'm going to go with this sort-of upside down chapter. DON'T WORRY!!! This chapter does not take you away from any of the main storyline – trust me. In fact, the chapter that I figured was going to come after "The Most Dangerous Game" will be right after this one. I'm hoping that everyone will be able to understand a little bit more about what's going on in poor Bella's head after this chapter. Sorry if this chapter doesn't please you reviewers – remember, I'm writing for myself too. Enjoy and please review!! Thank you guys:)_

**Interview with a Vampire**

My palms were sweaty and the skin above my knuckles was drawn taut. My heart was beating erratically and the slightest sound would make me jump. I had to relax – I _must _relax. I only had about two minutes left.

I'm a very reserved person – at least I like to _think _I am. At school, I'm usually quiet and shy – I don't go seeking attention. Attention actually seems to find me somehow – and I don't like it. What I was doing now was so nerve-raking; I couldn't understand why I was going through with it. Wait – I knew why – it was _him_. He convinced me. Somehow, he always does. In a fleeting moment, I wondered how I would be able to get him back…

"Miss Swan?" a husky, deep voice called from somewhere over my shoulder.

"Yes?" I nearly squeaked.

"You'll be on in about twenty seconds – please, hurry this way."

A heavy-set man with earphones plugged in his ears and a clipboard in his hand appeared in front of me. His almost bald head inclined toward the stage in front of me. I tried to control my jittery body as I clamped onto my khaki skirt. _I can do this, _I thought. _It'll be okay._

The man pushed me in the small of back until I was on the edge where the black curtain met the stage. I stood there, almost frozen to the spot. The man began to whisper behind me, "10…9…8…7…6…" and then the last few words he mouthed to me silently, "5…4…3…2…1…"

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you the courageous, inquisitive, admirable, and loving – Isabella Swan!"

The stage manager pointed to the stage in front of me and suddenly I was blinded with white light and deafened with the loud cheering and clapping of hundreds of people around me.

I tried very hard to smile, to make it look genuine, but the truth is, every nerve, every part of my body, was screaming bloody murder. I wanted so badly to run back into the comfort of the darkness of backstage – to be shielded once more by those curtains… But I had already made a decision. And, I was someone who never went against a decision once it was made – no matter how absurd or unthinkable. I was going to stick through this if it was the last thing I did.

I was taking deep breaths through my mouth, hoping to calm my anxious self down – but it was difficult without making myself look like an idiot on one of the many cameras circling the stage. What would the thousands of people watching me now think if I looked so unnerved?

In the darkest parts of my memory, I tried to remember why _exactly_ I was on the Oprah Winfrey show right now. There had to be a real motive, but for some reason, I couldn't recall it. My fragmented memories couldn't seem to be rearranged back again into its original order. Somehow, I was able to develop a theory along the lines of how we had decided to come clean about everything – about me hanging out with vampires and werewolves – about how weird I have been to Charlie and Renee – about what actually happened when I was in Phoenix last year and in Italy not even a month ago…

But why we had decided to do this on live television – on the Oprah Winfrey show – was something that eluded me – I couldn't, no matter how much effort I tried to, when I walked to the leather seat that Oprah offered to me, find it. It must have been a good reason, I had decided when I sat down, or else I wouldn't be doing it.

Finally, my tensed body seemed to loosen when a hand reached over and grabbed mine from the seat next to me – hard, yet smooth like marble. I knew it too well.

"It's okay," I heard a voice whisper in my ear as the cheering began to die down. "I'm here."

If only that could sound as reassuring as it usually does.

"Now Isabella -," Oprah looked over to me as she sat in her own chair across from the two of us. She was wearing a cream colored business suit with matching high-heels. I was concentrating on the collar of her white blouse underneath her suit and answered out of habit:

"Bella," I corrected.

"Oh – yes, I'm sorry. Edward -," she tilted her head towards the god-like creature beside me. She seemed a little flustered when she said his name and I think I heard him laugh somewhat as she continued, "- Mentioned you liked Bella better. Anyway, let us begin." She made a show of rearranging herself more comfortably in her seat, her hands folded nicely on her lap, and her back leaning slightly forward. "Edward has already revealed to us the nature of his family and what he truly is. He has also told us of his gift as well as some of his family's gifts," she fidgeted a bit, but then relaxed again. "He has also shared with everyone here how much he truly cares for you and that, surprisingly, you are the only one immune to his gift."

I nodded, unsure of what to say.

"I would like to know – what do you think of him? Even though he is – well, for lack of a better word, a _vampire_, why is it, exactly, that draws you to him?"

At this, I could feel Edward stiffen in his seat and look with curious eyes over in my direction. I drew in a breath and said, "Edward is more than what he, I suppose, _is_. Just because he is a vampire, that doesn't mean he is defined only by those specific characteristics. Honestly, from the first day I met him, I knew something was different about him and I began to obsess about it…" I paused to recollect those very distant memories, when I sat in my room and pondered about the boy who appeared to loath me the very first day we met. Then I continued, "Even though I didn't know what he was, I was unnaturally drawn to him. I can't really explain it in words. He was kind to me and gentle. Unlike the people around me, he seemed to accept me for what I was instead of for what he saw on the outside. I didn't fit in at my old school – as you most likely know already, I moved to Forks that year – and when I met him, I felt like I had a place in this world – like I truly belonged for once," I nodded reflectively. "When I was finally endowed with the truth, I wasn't afraid. In fact, I was fascinated. I didn't fall in love with the vampire – I fell in love with the person underneath it all – who was able to give up so much for what he believed in – denying what he was for so long just so that he could do what's right… And so," I turned to Edward with wide sincere eyes. "I think that answers your question."

Several people began to shout behind me while others clapped excitedly. But I wasn't focusing on that – instead, I was staring into Edward's large, intelligent golden eyes that told me so much without saying a thing.

_Bella – I love you._

"Wow, Bella, that was simply awe-inspiring," Oprah chimed in suddenly. "Don't we all agree?!"

More cheering and applauding.

"But now -," Oprah proceeded once the audience had died down. "Bella, when did you first realize that Edward was a vampire?"

"Well," I sighed. "He told me himself – but I got the idea with a little help from a friend of mine."

"And who might that friend be?" Oprah's eyes appeared to sparkle with the knowledge that she knew more than I thought she did.

"He is from the Indian tribe that lives close-by in Forks – the Quileute's. He's my best friend. Jacob –"

But before I was able to finish my sentence the audience was screaming at the top of their lungs – some of the ecstatic females in the crowd were stomping their feet on the ground – other's were pointing at something behind me with obvious pleasure.

I swiveled my head around to see Jacob Black walking off backstage with a girl by his side – no… could that be? Was that Angela with him?

My head seemed to be swimming in confusion as Jacob took a seat with Angela at his side on a cream-colored couch next to Oprah.

Was there a couch next to Oprah before?

"May we now introduce Jacob Black and Angela Weber," Oprah said enthusiastically.

Even though the two of them had already sat down, the crowd continued to yell and shout until I turned my head over to the other side to see Charlie and Renee sit down in seats next to Edward and me. I gripped my chair and I felt like I was going to throw up.

"Jacob and Angela are friends of Bella – Jacob knew about Edward's secret and also has a little secret of his own. Let's watch."

Oprah gestured over to a screen behind her that had "Oprah Winfrey" written in elegant cursive. The lights around us dimmed and suddenly Jacob's face appeared on the screen. My mouth dropped as he began…

"For the longest time, I was sure that I was in love with Bella when we met at La Push beach. I told her some ghost stories, that I didn't believe were true – when, in reality, they were more true then any of us could ever imagine. They began with our ancestors, the wolves – and their mortal enemies – the _cold ones_…"

And Jacob retold his whole story to the audience – how he had told me the story about the werewolves and the vampires, how he had begun to secretly fall in love with me, how he, himself, was a werewolf. Then he even elaborated on the schemes that he and his pack were planning. But then something didn't fall into place – he was suddenly talking about how he met Angela, how they had fallen in love, and that he didn't care about me or the vampires anymore.

When the lights finally turned back on, I felt like I was in knee deep water, trying desperately to understand what was going on.

"Wow, Jacob, fascinating!" Oprah said smiling. "Well, love comes again doesn't it?"

Frowning, I asked Jacob, "Jake – h-how did you meet Angela?"

He rose an eyebrow, opened his mouth to say something, but then Angela cut him off.

"Bella! Don't you remember? You introduced me to Jacob!"

"I did? When?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"After school – you invited me over to your house to help you with some Calculus homework. We were bored, so you drove us over to La Push…"

"Wait – what? I don't remember this," I said, my head throbbing slightly.

"And then – It just sort-of clicked!" and Angela snapped her fingers and smiled. Jacob wrapped his hands around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

When did Angela start talking like _that_?

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward said quietly, squeezing my hand ever-so-gently.

"Um – yeah – headache I guess," I said in a whisper back, trying to look casual as I placed my right hand to my temple.

"Jacob," I said. "You don't care about me anymore?"

He scrutinized me and said without emotion, "No."

I looked down at my small insignificant hands and repressed the tears that were filling my eyes. I was happy for Jacob and so sad that it was turning out – _like this_. It couldn't happen like this – not with someone who seemed like the only reasonable friend that I had ever since I moved to Forks. I even felt a tad jealous – for something I apparently caused! Wow – something was seriously wrong with me.

"Now let us turn to the parents of Bella – both still alive – and both who did _not know _the truth of what their daughter was getting into."

Again, Oprah's hand opened up to the screen behind her and the lights dimmed into darkness. Charlie's broad, lined face appeared on screen.

"I knew something was wrong with the boy for the longest time, and, now that I know the truth, the pieces of my daughter's past are starting to come together clearly for me," and from here on, he continued to tell his side of the story – with the divorce between Renee and him, the death of his parents (my grandparents), and what he believed happened to me during those times in my life when I suddenly disappeared without warning.

Then my older counterpart was before our eyes.

"I knew Bella was making the wrong choice from the beginning – I mean, after the breakup of Charlie and me, I didn't think her being in love so early was right for her. I didn't want my only daughter and my best friend to make the wrong decision, as I did." Following that was Renee's account of my whole Forks stay, my childhood, and her few impressions of Edward when she did see him. Once her anecdote was completed, the white lights illuminated the stage again. I could feel my cheeks going hot as I tried to make sense of this strange reality I found myself in.

"And so, ladies and gentlemen, we see here how Bella's parents, both of whom were reluctant to come on the stage today, have shared their personal feelings about Bella's relationship with a real vampire. Now, tell me, either of you, do you approve of Bella's wishes to be with this – um, 'man'?"

Both of them looked at each other and suddenly I saw something in my mother's eyes that scared me – fierce passion maybe?

"We accept Bella's wishes," she nodded.

I sat up straighter in my seat, shocked beyond belief.

"And tell us, why is that?" Oprah prodded.

"Because," my mother said, "I know from experience that my daughter is not dumb. She's been with me through every bad relationship – every romantic drama I've ever experienced. And – although I think Bella is extremely young to be making such decisions – I know how love can direct one's emotions. It is more powerful than all common sense and all reason," and at that, my mother nodded.

'_… extremely young to be making such decisions'? What decisions is she talking about? And, when did my mom start talking so eloquently?_

"Love is crazy – but I know how it acts. That's why Charlie and I are getting back together – once Bella moves out of the house." My mother smiled and Charlie responded with his kind wrinkled grin.

This was unbelievable.

I shot up in my seat. "What about Phil?! Mom – you're still married!!" I accused, wild eyed.

She looked at me like I was growing a horn. "Bella – you know what happened with Phil and me – Hun, it didn't work out. We divorced about a year ago," she continued to stare at me, concerned, as I sank slowly back down into my seat.

_A year?_

I wasn't focusing anymore on what Oprah was saying as I tried to rearrange my thoughts. I knew that I must look not only odd but psychotic on the camera. Trying to temper my twitching body, I could see in my peripheral vision my mom mouthing the words, "Are you okay?" to me, but I didn't answer.

"And Charlie – your thoughts?" Oprah said hastily, hoping to cover up my weird outburst with a new question.

"Honestly, I still don't trust _him _with my daughter, but he somehow provides Bella with some sense of security," he shook his head. "She's a different person whenever I see her with him – and its better that than the strange, almost empty-like state she went through when he was away. I still don't think I'll ever forgive him for that."

"I don't expect you to," Edward said smoothly, his eyes saddened. "I don't think I'll ever forgive myself."

"But of course, you left Bella almost two years ago, correct?" Oprah asked.

"Yes."

"Two years ago?" I whispered to myself.

"I know – still not enough time has passed to erase the pains of the past," Edward said very softly to me.

I just stared blankly ahead of me.

"Friends, this has truly been invigorating – and still we haven't gotten even a fraction of an inch into this very fascinating saga. Next, we bring out four people who will soon become a very big part of Bella's life…"

For what seemed like the hundredth time, the audience made noise that sounded like an oncoming stampede. From the curtains located on the side stage, I could see four people emerge – four people I knew very well and loved very much.

"May I present to you, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and of course, Emmett Cullen!"

The four of them walked around to a couch that suddenly appeared behind Edward and I's beige colored chairs. Why couldn't I remember if that couch was there before or not? It must have been there, just like the couch was _supposed _to be there for Jacob and Angela next to Oprah. Although why I missed the wide, four-seater cushiony couch behind me was indeed something I couldn't quite grasp.

After Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett sat swiftly in their seats, Oprah began her twenty questions again.

"What do you think of Bella and Edward's relationship?"

"I think it's wonderful – Edward has been looking for someone for so long… It's hurt me to see him so alone. It's even better that he found someone just as fun and loving as Bella is too – he couldn't have done better in my point of view," Alice piped in immediately.

"I second that," Jasper nodded reflectively. "Bella is indeed a very interesting individual and one with very complicated emotional feelings…"

"Oh! That is right – I'm very interested in both Alice's gift and your special gift. Edward mentioned previously that you can sense others emotions?"

"Yes – as well as… control them in a sense," he seemed reluctant to go on. Luckily, Alice filled in for him.

"I didn't know you were dating Oprah," she said cocking her head to the side.

Oprah look flustered. "I'm – not…"

"Then – who's the man you're going out with after the show?"

After all the times Oprah's been on the television, I don't think I've ever seen her cheeks go a deep burgundy – almost as dark as mine when I'm uncomfortable.

"Wow – Alice, is your gift always this precise?" she questioned.

"No – the future tends to change a lot because the decisions people make change. I don't think your date is going to change much."

"… Rosalie!" Oprah turned eagerly towards the blond angel before her. "Is it true that you hold antagonistic feelings toward Bella? If so, why?"

Rosalie stared coldly at Oprah, her intense amber eyes ambivalent. Eventually she said, "Yes, I was once – _unsure _about Bella. I thought she was going to tear our family apart from it roots and that Edward was being an idiot. Of course, he knew that already so he didn't need me telling him that."

Edward stared angrily at Rosalie, the trace of a faint snarl emitting from his throat. I wondered how many times he's heard Rosalie reflect on his decision of being with me in her own head.

"Yes – he knew I thought that killing her was the best way to keep our family together instead of moving _again _and starting from scratch! But, he fought tooth and nail for what he believed in. I had no power over his decisions. For the longest time, I resented her presence. But then…" she paused and she obtained a resigned look to her features. "She brought Edward happiness that I have never seen before – he was always humming – always upbeat – always optimistic about everything. Nobody could ever do that to him. I thought it was a thing he would get over – but," and here she looked actually pained, "I was terribly wrong."

"Could you be referring to the phone call you made to Edward, telling him that Bella threw herself off a cliff and that she was dead?" Oprah asked.

Rosalie nodded. "That was stupid and irresponsible – I should have made sure it was accurate information instead of just an assumption. But – after that whole incident – I realized that this _isn't _just a thing – that they truly love each other – more than I could ever imagine.

"And now, Bella and I have a very close relationship – something I never had before with any one girl – except Alice." She rolled her eyes. "Bella is very unique and indeed interesting beyond belief. I'm happy to say that we've worked out all the details and I'm the one who is going to be designing the wedding dress."

Clapping and applause everywhere – a sound so deafening that I could her a buzz in my ears – a shrill ring that rang more clearly than anything and blocked out any foreign sound – leaving only the loud monotone sound of my own desperate, broken voice…

_What??? Wedding dress?? What's going on? What am I doing here?? A year…?_

"What?" I mouthed.

Emmett's booming voice brought me back to reality.

"Bella you should see your face! You look just like you did when Edward asked you!"

I lifted my head up a fraction of an inch to see Emmett laughing boisterously from the couch behind my chair.

"Bella, sit down," Edward gestured back to my seat. He looked utterly alarmed at my behavior. I didn't even notice I was standing.

I sat down but I was far from calm.

_A year…_

_Why can't I remember what happened in a year? Nothing – at all_?

I tried to remember something – anything at all…

But the memories… they were lost to me… Were there even memories to recall from?

Oprah was holding her hands together so tightly, her knuckles became a very light tan color. But her face was the epitome of calm reserve. Why couldn't I do that? Years of being in the television business must give one endless patience and control over one's outbursts.

"And you Emmett? What do you think of Bella?" Oprah pried.

"Ha! I absolutely love Bella. She's one of the most entertaining things since… hum… I don't know – a bear!" he laughed in spite of himself. "No – but in all honesty, she has respected us as well as accepted us for what we are. Sure – I thought Edward was an idiot too to be running after a _human _girl… but, never did I expect anything like Bella. She surprises me everyday – all the way from her clever wit down to her clumsiness! I'm anticipating her joining our family _very soon_!"

Oprah nodded, "Indeed. And now we –"

But Emmett continued, "And now our family is going to be so large we could basically be something out of the 'Brady Bunch' – we can be called the 'Cullen Bunch!'" he snickered darkly. "Sadly, we don't exactly have a cleaning lady named Alice – but of course, Alice could clean for us…"

And Alice punched him in the face in front of the camera.

The couch toppled backward as Emmett flew onto the tiled stage. The audience gasped at the scenario, but then exhaled when Emmett stood up, very much unharmed and laughing.

"Alice – that was evil! On television too!"

"Well – don't say rude things like that on television," she responded acidly.

He shook his head. "You call me rude? After what you said to Oprah?"

"That was merely stating fact."

The bickering proceeded until Oprah, very much frustrated shouted – "Okay! Enough!"

Everyone turned to her astonished and silent.

"We have – one last guest to introduce to you," Oprah breathed unevenly and in an almost annoyed tone. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Aro – member of the Volturi!"

There was wild excitement from the crowd when the amazing, paler than ever imaginable Aro stepped into the spotlight. He looked even more surreal than the rest of the vampires sitting around me – his papery white onion skin, long black hair, and blood like eyes made me very uncomfortable – as well as the absence of his guards Demetri and Felix.

"Why – why is he here?" I asked Edward.

Edward shrugged, but he was wary. His eyes never left Aro as he crossed the stage to yet another unoccupied chair beside Oprah. I never knew a talk show had so much furniture.

"Aro – is it true that Edward came to you, pleading for you to take his life after he believed Bella was dead?" Oprah tried to keep her voice even as she stared into the mesmerizing eyes of Aro.

Aro's reply was light and very carefree. "Very true, very true. And he would have almost got it if it wasn't for the girl sitting beside him. She prevented him from – very foolishly, walking out into the sun…"

Something clicked in my head all of a sudden. This was _definitely _not right. I realized that Aro would _never_ be here acting jovial and optimistic while sharing with the world the secrets of the vampires. Why isn't he angry that Edward or Alice has not changed me yet? Why isn't he attacking everyone and promoting chaos? Why isn't he angry at me for exposing everyone's secret? Why aren't Demetri and Felix here? Marcus? Caius? Why are we doing this? _What the hell is going on? _

"… But enough about those bitter memories!" Aro finished lightly. "I'm so very excited for the end of this show – I must know more about Edward and Bella's intriguing relationship!"

_End of the show?_

"Bella!"

"What?" I snapped out of my reverie.

"Are you ready? I mean – aren't you scared at all?" Aro was looking at me with curious, captivated eyes.

"What are you talking about?" I replied hotly.

"Bella."

I turned to Edward now, his topaz eyes blaring at me. "I think it's time."

"Time for what?" I muttered, my heart beating faster. I had this unbearable feeling in the pit of my stomach – a feeling of impending doom.

But he didn't answer. Instead, he stood up in his seat and began to address the audience formally. I glanced over at Oprah who looked like she was smirking about something.

"Ladies and gentlemen – if I may," Edward began. "As you already know, Bella and I are getting married in about a month and part of our deal was that I would change Bella if she accepted my proposal. Well, everyone – you are about to witness this transformation before your very eyes!"

_What? WHAT?_

I shook my head absolutely dumbfounded and trying to make some sort of sense of the situation. In the confusion that was my own thoughts, I looked down at my hand – my _left _hand… and there was something there that made me jump up from my chair and onto my feet.

A ring – a huge gold, diamond ring – on my finger…

A commitment already made.

Then I knew that this was not real – none of this could ever happen. Something clicked in my brain and it was almost as if the curtain shielding my eyes was drawn back and I could once again see clearly.

_This is not Edward – the Edward I know would never do this – he doesn't want to change me at all. He wants me to _stay _human. _

Once I realized this, another thing sprang to my mind…

_If this isn't Edward – than who is this? What is any of this? I _must _be dreaming…_

As soon as that thought crossed my head, the world around me seemed to slow.

Turning my head, I saw on the screen behind Oprah – myself… myself lying on the black pavement – unconscious. There was a scrape on my forehead that was bleeding slightly and a bump forming on the back of my head. But I wasn't the only one in the picture – Edward, the _real _Edward – was leaning over top of me. His features were alarmed, scared, angered, and worried all at the same time. His brow was creased and his hands were working themselves underneath my back – holding me up and trying to shake me awake. His mouth was moving, almost like he was shouting something – my name, maybe? – but there was no sound coming out of his lips.

My heart dropped as I remembered –

_Arcade – Charlie – Alice – Edward – car crash – accident – _

_Pale-faced girl…_

My mouth was hanging open when my head moved slowly back over to the Edward impostor of my dreams. When did he look so eerily amused? Suddenly, the audience that was facing my back stood up, laughing, pointing at the screen in front of me, and then began walking over onto the stage. Before I knew it, I was in a swarm of heads around me – unable to recognize anyone – feeling the claustrophobia overpower me.

_I have to get out of here…_ I thought, trying to push back the rising fear in the pit of my stomach. _Heaven or hell, dreaming or hallucinations – I have to wake up from whatever this is! _

Looking back over at the screen, I was still lying on the ground with Edward overtop of me, looking livid with anger, frustration, and determination. He looked desperate and utterly scared – my heart seemed to break as I watched him suffer through the demons he faced, presented by the presence of my blood and the torturing fact that he couldn't seem to wake me up.

I turned away quickly, because something in Edward's eyes scared me – saddened, losing hope and faith…

I was falling – and I couldn't seem to right myself. _What do I do? What do I do? _My eyes were scanning the mass of heads before me, trying futilely to find some answers. I couldn't find anyone – Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob, Angela, Charlie, Renee, and Aro seemed to have disappeared – dissolved into the horde. Then, suddenly, out of the mob, the fake-Edward's head was moving toward me. His eyes looked approvingly up and down me and I found myself feeling quite self-conscience.

The faces – the oh-so-many faces – were parting, allowing him to pass and come close up to me. They were all smiling, laughing, enjoying the show – but I couldn't join them. I was captivated, held in the never-wavering gaze of the predator before me – frozen to the ground unable to move, unable to think, unable to say no…

And then he was in front of me. The faces around me became an amorphous black, strange moving mass around me – my focus was only on the one person in front of me. Edward smiled, almost mockingly, and then fluidly bent his head down to my neck. I could feel the beads of sweat trickling down my forehead and my shaking body. The cool lips trailed a small pattern on my neck and I thought I might faint from fright.

_Why can't I move?_

The frozenness of his skin moved upwards and to my ear – there they stopped and I could hear them part open. I knew he was smiling – and then, with the voice of smooth velvet, he whispered soothingly into my ear…

"_Come and feel infinity… eternity…_"

But that wasn't him… Were there tears in my eyes?

"Bella! Wake up!!"

As if those were the magic words, I could feel my body and then see the faces around me take shape again. Standing up in their seats were Jacob, Charlie, Renee, Angela, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Aro – trying to get a better look at what was going on. It looked like Alice was cheering while Emmett was beating the air with one of his large fists in an encouraging manner.

With a glance at Edward, I did what could never have been possible in real life – both literally and figuratively…

I pushed him away from me.

He stumbled a tad backwards, caught off-guard miraculously. That's where I rushed into the crowd before me – running desperately back to the reality I so wanted to find.

I pushed through scores of people who were not happy – hoping for the show to go on. Memories of the past flowed back into my mind – the bright summer day, the angry crowd, and the clock tower… now the spotlights, the audience, and the backstage exit – I needed to get there – I don't know why, but I knew I needed to get there.

"Bella, Bella!! Wake up!! You're _not _dead!"

My eyes flickered over to the screen as I continued my journey through the ever widening crowd. I realized now that I could hear what the _real _Edward was saying now and it gave me the confidence to push forward – I was _not _going to be caught.

Squishing and squeezing and worming my way through the last part of the throng, I made by way out into the black coolness and seeming safety of the backstage entrance. The heavy-set man, which I realized to be the stage manager, was sitting in a folding metal chair, earphones still on, and reading a magazine. Some instinct told me to run up and ask him for a way out.

"Hey, you – where is the exit to this place?" I said, slightly out of breath.

He gave me a look that suggested I was crazy. He barked a laugh and said, "There _is _no exit to this place!"

"_What?!"_ my mouth dropped open. "None – _at all_?" _This can't be happening! What can I do? What should I do? _Suddenly, I had an idea at how my unconscious mind might be working…

"Don't you have a place where everything is being controlled and run by?" I asked.

"Humm," he looked thoughtful, and replied, smiling, "Look for the directors office, I'm sure that _she _could help you find what you are seeking."

_Yes – a way out of this nightmare_, I thought bitterly.

Suddenly, there was cheering behind me and as I twisted around quickly, I noticed that the audience was moving around – beginning to form a path for Edward to get to me.

_I have to get out of here. _

There was a loud click above my head and a powerful voice shook the building around us over the loud-speaker.

"Miss Swan – time is running out for you," Oprah said to me for up above and then the speaker line went dead.

I could feel my pulse quicken – the noise of my heart beating chaotically in my ear. The crowd was cheering louder – Edward was getting closer…

Staring around at my surroundings, I noticed black piping, ropes, wood paneled walls, and a strange cold smell to the air. Some of the walls had photographs hanging on them; I noticed to my left a particularly startling portrait of a smiling Oprah on the wall with a small spotlight illuminating it from underneath. To my right, there was a glass case hanging on the wall with a fire extinguisher inside of it. In bolded red letters, it said outside of the case "IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY". Then, right next to the glass case, I saw a fire alarm.

_A fire alarm…_

Before I knew what was happening, I was running deeper into the backstage hallways, while the fire alarm yelled its loud, shrilly sound above me. In the distance, I could make out the distinct screams of the mob, the pandemonium that I broke loose – the eerie laughter of the stage manager behind me…

_I hope it worked – I hope it worked…_

Everything looked the same – every turn I made, and every bizarre door I decided to try, it always seemed like I was going down the same bleak hallway. The floor was a dark mahogany color and the only light available were these dim, dangling chandeliers in the shape of spotlights hanging on the ceiling. I was in a horror film that took place in an old movie theater. I tried to shake the thought of the heroine getting killed in those movies as I continued to race as fast as I could down the hallway… And as I ran, large television screens began to form on the walls that were on either side of me. I could see myself again – still on the ground, still unconscious, and Edward still trying to wake me.

"No – Bella! No…!"

_Shaking with grief – shaking because of me…_

"Bella! Wake up!" I yelled this time into the air. Tears were streaming down my face. This was hopeless – why couldn't I wake up? "Bella! Please wake up!! Please, please wake up!!" I was crying and kicking the walls with my feet and knocking the air angrily with my fists. _Wake up!_

Opening my eyes and wiping the tears with my hand, something caught my eye at the end of the hallway. It was a sleek black door with the words "DIRECTOR: BELLA SWAN" written across it in white. Hope spread through me – relief.

_This is my way out._

Arms outstretched like a child, I ran straight for the door.

_My way home is through you door_, I thought, an awkward grin spreading my across my features.

But suddenly, time slowed. I was in a movie – my legs moving at a very dull rate up and down. My grin faded and I could feel an odd, white hot sensation filling up the air behind me. Turning my head, I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out because the wind was knocked out of me…

A huge explosion threw me across what was left of the hallway in front of me until I collided head-on with the black door.

"Auuuun," I hissed out of my mouth as my hand moved up to head to feel around for blood. I was sitting on the ground up against the director's door with my legs crossed at weird angles in front of me. My head was on fire and it felt like my whole body had been twisted and then unraveled. The tears were streaming harder down my cheeks, my dirty hand doing barely anything to stop their flow. I noticed my skirt was ripped.

Squinting in front of me, I saw a blazing fire across the hallway only a few yards away. I could feel its intense heat burning my skin, while its light burned my eyes.

_Haha_, I thought acidly. _So there actually _is _a fire…_

Continuing to gaze the fire, wondering how this could have been caused in the first place, I saw something that made me jump in my skin.

Through the fire, a dark figure approached me.

_Oh no – oh no! Get up Bella!_

I staggered to my feet, holding on the handle to the door for support. The figure was getting closer, and the brightness of the flames finally lit the pursuers face and my heart sank into my stomach. I turned away and turned the handle to the door.

Nothing.

_Come one – come one – open!!_

I repeatedly shook the handle, but nothing. It was locked or stuck – it wouldn't turn.

Glancing back, Edward was smiling at me through the flames. Wait – that wasn't Edward. As I continued to stare at him, Edward morphed until he wasn't Edward at all, but in fact –

James.

The eyes of the hunter were on me – and I was bleeding. Inching closer and closer… From somewhere in the distance, I could her beautiful, angel-like sobbing –

"Bella, Bella! No!"

More jingling of the handle.

"Bella, Bella! Please wake up!!" I yelled.

An awful, malicious grin became etched on the trackers face. He was getting what he never did when he was alive – a sweet revenge – only a few steps away…

"_Damn it – Bella!! _Wake up!! Get me out of here!!"

Closer…

"Please – please!" The tears were streaming down my face.

James mouth parted and his teeth shone like glistening stars in the reflection of the fire…

Oh – how that one bite felt like fire – how it burned…

No…

"God!! Wake up!!"

Suddenly, the handle turned and I pushed with all my weight against the heavy door…

James lunged for me right then but missed as I entered the door and it shut behind me.

A radiant white light engulfing me… was blinding me…

Then the white went away, my vision was clearing – I could feel a finger twitch on concrete…

"Bella…" a voice sang softly.

-----

_**AN: **__… AKA: "Bella in Wonderland"…_

_Yes, yes, I know this is an extremely strange chapter. I'm sure some of you will pick up your pitchforks and demand a reason from me. I can assure you, there is – let me explain…_

_Bella, for one, is not invincible. Although she is particularly good at repressing unpleasant memories (for example, her little run in with James a year ago), it doesn't mean they aren't still there to haunt her occasionally. Plus, she has been dealing with a multitude of stress now more than ever before – and she hasn't talked about it with anyone – keeping it all to herself. This was sort-of how these suppressed feelings came out – how she was dealing with her love for Jacob as a friend, her worries about her family, the threat of the Volturi, Rosalie's strange feelings about her, and, most of all, her mixed feelings about marriage and becoming a vampire. So, it all came out in her head as a talk-show with Oprah – I know, aren't I weird? XD This was also kind-of my doing as well, how I got inspiration for something crazy like this and a terrific title for the chapter based off of a current vampire novel by Ann Rice (I have not read her books though)._

_Also – if you read closely enough, you'll notice I used lyrics from some current music of mine that I really love within the dialogue of the story. I listen to some weird stuff so I think the only person who'll be able to catch it all is my sister – one line is painfully obvious (hint hint: Edward says it) and gave me inspiration to write this in the first place. Another one is based off a song that I love that also gave Stephenie Meyer inspiration from what I heard. I think you'll be able to find that too. I think there is like 4 or 5 song lyrics/titles mixed in the story if you want to try to find them all…_

_Now, I'm also sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. Life has been getting to me, including Spring Break and an outrageous amount of homework and studying. Good news however – I just took my AP test on Friday (finally over – yes!) so now I will probably have more time for writing! Yay! Still – don't get mad at me if it continues to take me awhile to update – you never know what life will throw at you… _

_And, thank you again everyone who found an interest in my story and wrote some of the nicest comments on it! I appreciate it so much! You guys make me feel inspired to write – and trust me, that's a compliment! Thanks!!_


	9. Night of Fate

_**Author's Note: **__I think the world is conspiring against me. I'm starting this at 11:14 pm on a school night – that proves how desperate I want to write basically. After our AP test, our teacher gave us this unbelievably difficult project to complete (which I think is probably the worst, longest, and hardest project I've had to do in my entire life!) and I feel so stressed lately! Gah! I just want summer to be here so that I can just have time to be creative… Plus, there are so many books and movies that are coming out, it's going to be great. _

_Now, here's the continuation of "The Most Dangerous Game". Enjoy, and I'm sorry if I kept you waiting too long to see what happens! _

**Night of Fate**

_Drip, drip, drip…_

"Bella…" the velvet voice repeated in my ear. "Are you okay?"

"Wha-what?" My forehead felt like it was burning – everything made me feel dizzy and off-balance. My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to look straight ahead of me – all I could see was blurry and indistinct objects. A dark shaped loomed overtop of me and the rest of the world behind the figure was a gray light. I could feel water trickling down my forehead and through my hair. At least, I think it was water…

"Edward! It's starting to rain! Get her off the ground!" someone shouted in the distance.

Before I knew it, I felt the ground fall beneath me. The insides of my stomach tumbled around chaotically and for a moment I thought I was going to throw up. Keeping a clear head, I focused all my attention on the dark object that was the only thing my eyes seemed to be able to produce.

A hard, smooth "something" seemed to be pressing against my head. Its cool texture felt soothing on my head – my vision began to clear and the world slowly revolved into focus. A long, soft hand clasped onto one of my feeble ones, squeezing it gently. Then there was a strange rumbling sound – it felt like the thing next to my head was vibrating… Yes, it was… The sound became more defined until I realized it to be a horrifying snarl emanating from the object.

And then my eyes flashed open at the sound – the shapes became more definite around me – a picture coming into focus…

The snarling became louder, developing into a menacing growl. I was shivering – but not because of the bitter cold that surrounded the area.

Blinking back the raindrops that were beginning to bombard across my face, I saw her.

She was a tiny thing – only slightly taller than Alice's 4'10" frame, wearing a loose fitting white T-shirt, a faded pair of unusually short shorts around her slender thighs, and no shoes. Her stance suggested fragileness – delicacy – something to be handed with the utmost care – like a small leaf touching her pale skin could cause her entire frame to collapse. Despite how childlike and innocent her soft features displayed, her sweet smile, her hands clasping each other behind her back – I was scared of her more than anything. My pulse heightened as her gaze turned to me. Wisps of light, almost white blond hair, caressed her gentle cheeks and small nose – yet, no matter how alarming her fair hair was, it was nothing compared to the dark, blood burgundy eyes – so unlike the calm, assuring amber eyes I have come to know and love. Her eyes told me everything without saying a word – filled within them was hatred, curiosity, and hunger – on them was the reflection of fire and I don't know if it was real or my imagination getting the better of me.

And over to her right was the crushed Volvo – the roof caved in – smashed upside down on the side of the road that met the shadowy forest. From the looks of it, it was irreparable.

"No," I mouthed to myself.

Finally, I saw Alice and Jasper surrounding the female, crouched, and on the verge of pouncing. There faces were contorted into something I think I've seen only once before – so unlike them and so fierce, I turned my head so that it was crushed against the solid object holding me. The object twitched with anticipation.

A ripppp – a screeching – a shrill sounding halt – the slamming of doors…

I looked up. Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme exited Rosalie's red Corvette and before I knew what was happening, all six of them were around the fragile female, teeth barred, and growling. The female just stood there, smiling sweetly, like this was some silly game.

_What is she doing? _I thought frantically. _She can't win this way._

Her thin lips still parted in a never-ending wry smile, she bent forward, her arms outstretched, and her knees twisting into a curtsy – her gaze never leaving mine the whole while. My lips were trembling from fright – I couldn't take my eyes off of her this time – she held me there, the helpless prey in the eyes of the predator.

Suddenly, she sprang into abrupt action – so fast that calling the movement a mere blur would be demeaning. Her image flew into the forest to her left in a run that was indescribable – a fluid, steady motion beyond that of a cheetah or any known animal in the universe.

And just as she moved like lightening into the welcoming blanket of the darkness provided by the forest, Esme, Jasper, and Rosalie rushed in close pursuit after her. Emmett started to run but Carlisle stopped him and said something so fast to him, his lips appeared to be vibrating. Emmett's facial features appeared startled, even defiant, but Carlisle shook his head and then nodded over in my direction. Emmett, angrily, through up his hands and it looked like he was swearing.

"Don't bother," said the cold, barely recognizable voice behind me. "Just go."

"Edward – just listen to reason right now," Carlisle started but was cut off.

"No – _You _listen! We were just thrown into a _car crash _because of one insignificant female! The more you have running after her, the easier she'll be to catch – and the easier it'll be to find the others," he hissed.

"Edward – what others?" Carlisle said, troubled.

"Go and you'll find out – I'm taking Bella _home_."

Carlisle turned back to Emmett, said something incomprehensible to him again, and then, faster than the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Emmett sashayed past Alice, who appeared to be concentrating, rooted to her spot in the middle of the road, and into Rosalie's Corvette. I noticed the doors were still open on all sides of the car where the four of them had bolted out. Emmett climbed into the driver's seat, appeared to rummage around, looking for something in or on the dashboard, and stopped with something silvery in his hand. It was a cell phone. He dialed something very quick and pressed it to his ear.

"Anything Alice?" said Edward, still holding tight onto me in his arms.

"If I did, you would have seen it," she replied mirthlessly – I had not realized she was now standing next to me.

"Thank you Alice," Edward said just as scathingly. Then the world around me suddenly blurred and I was in the backseat of Rosalie's car.

"Bella – are you alright?" Edward sounded calmer, but I could detect the wrath beneath his controlled voice.

"She doesn't look too good – are you sure she's awake?" Alice asked. A chilly hand pressed against my forehead.

"Wh-what happened?" I said softly, blinking back threatening tears.

"You got flipped over apparently," Emmett said bluntly, who was now racing the car down the street.

"The girl – who was the girl?"

Nobody answered me.

"Who was the girl?" I reiterated, louder this time.

Alice frowned and removed her pale hand off of my forehead and turned to look out at the rain that was splattering against the windows of the Corvette, whose top was drawn to shelter us from the rain. Although she seemed to be staring at the window, it was like she was not really looking at it at all – instead, staring at the bigger picture of things. I knew she was trying to piece this all out just as I was.

"What's going ON?" I sprang up in Edward's lap, my head swimming. Was I truly back in the real world? Or was I still trapped in the twisted reality of my dreams?

Edward clasped onto my wrists and tried to steady my now thrashing body. I had to succumb to the unbreakable hold he had on me.

"Bella! Calm down!"

"I _can't _calm down!" I said through clenched teeth, writhing only slightly in his impenetrable grip.

"Just relax! Everything is okay – I have you. You're safe and that's all that matters right now." He rubbed the palm of my hand in a comforting manner.

"No, that is not all that matters! What about the pack? What about your family? What about Charlie?" My voice rose higher until it was nothing but a shrill shriek. "Charlie! He's expecting me home! They'll find him there! We have to save Charlie!"

"Charlie will be fine – they're after you, not him," Edward reassured.

"Yeah – don't worry Bella. He'll be fine," Emmett said from the driver's seat.

"They'll expect me there – they'll get there before us – and kill Charlie!" I lamented. "We have to go to Charlie's _now_!" I spoke with venom in my voice.

Edward stared hard at me, his golden eyes intense and unwavering –

Just like the day he left…

"No," he said firmly.

"Take me there now!" I screamed.

"No!" he said menacingly. "It's out of the question – I will _never _put you in that kind of danger again!"

"Not even if we had a brilliant plan?" I inquired, eyebrows furrowing.

"Oh, this will be good," Emmett commented. "She's good at this stuff Edward – give her some credit."

Of course, I did not have a plan yet. In fact, I felt like all my options had been exhausted in my brain. If we reached there in time, how could we possibly tell Charlie to come with us because he needed to be protected by a group of vampires that are looking for me? Or, if we didn't get there in time – a chill ran through my spine. I couldn't think about that.

"No – she's not going and that's final!" Edward yelled.

"Errr," Alice huffed, irritated. "This doesn't have to be that hard – you're breaking my concentration!" She swiveled her head to Emmett whose seat was in front of her. "Emmett, please give me the phone."

Emmett reached into his pocket and extracted the shiny silver cell phone I saw him use earlier. Alice snatched it out of his hand, her hands briefly touching the keypad, and then she was holding the phone to her ear.

"Carlisle," she breathed. Her lips began to quiver then in a silent speech that everybody understood – except me. Before I knew it, the phone was snapped shut in her hand and she was talking normally to me again.

"Rosalie's going to check up on your house, Bella. I'm sure Charlie is okay," Alice said, pensively. She handed the phone back to Emmett, who proceeded to put it back in his pants pocket. Although she appeared calm, something about her stance and her expression made me think otherwise.

"Thank you," I said quietly – and then I added, "Please – Edward – tell me what's going on? Why are you keeping this from me?"

Alice's eyes flicked to mine in a transitory glance and then shot over to Edward's. He snorted.

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"If you don't, I will, you can be sure of that," Alice intoned ominously.

"Alice, don't start," Edward groaned.

"Edward…" I said softly.

"Bella – I'm trying to protect you!" he shook his head and one of his hands flew to his forehead.

"By keeping me in the dark?" I prodded.

"They were following us Bella – I can't believe I didn't know!" His hand fell from his forehead and he grabbed onto the seat cushion. The skin over his knuckles was drawn so taut that the color was beyond pale – it became an unusually milky white. A ripping sound could be heard where his fingernails were tearing apart the fabric of the seat. He was gritting his teeth.

"Edward – Rose is going to be pissed. Could you please try not to damage her car?" Emmett asked.

"Shut up," Edward said scornfully through clenched teeth. "I'm trying to figure this out."

"What else though – so they were following us… Why is it that you couldn't detect them?" I continued to pry.

"I think they knew that I can read other's thoughts Bella… They kept a safe distance away from us – until one of them dared to make a move…"

"Who is this girl and what does she want?"

"All I can fathom is that she's part of Victoria's gang – one of the members curious enough to come and see you."

"Why don't you know… _for certain_ though?" I asked, hesitantly.

A low growl emanated from deep within the back of Edward's throat. "Because she wasn't _thinking _about that."

"I don't understand…"

"Bella, remember that I can only hear the thoughts of what people are thinking in the moment. Otherwise, I am unable to dive deeper into there memories and thoughts. Somehow, the female knew this…"

"How do you know?"

"Because she kept repeating the phrase, 'Hello Edward, it's nice to meet you today. How is Bella doing?' over and over again in her head – never allowing for her thoughts to stray a single bit. I don't know a single soul with that kind of control, except perhaps Carlisle," he said, shaking his head furiously.

Digesting the information I was given, I came to the sad realization of it all…

"This is my fault…" I said quietly.

"Bella -," Edward warned through his teeth.

"No! If it wasn't for me, none of this would be happening!" I cried hysterically. "Your family has suffered so much because of me – I can't believe this!"

"Bella, Bella – stop it…" Edward said, placing his index finger over my mouth to silence me. "If the blame should be placed anywhere, it should be on me. I was the one who was unable to sense their presence – it's my fault."

"And mine," Alice said next to me. Her lips were set in a hard line, looking almost annoyed about something. "I can't believe I couldn't see anything…" she said in a whisper, more to herself.

I shook my head numbly. "Perhaps I just shouldn't exist…" my voice quavered softly.

Edward's eyes widened as he stared fiercely at me. He looked like he was going to tear his hair out – an expression of pain, agony –

And anger.

"What did you say?" he asked, voice controlled.

I looked away, abruptly frightened. "Nothing," I said simply.

The car lurched to a sudden stop and before I knew it, Edward was standing outside next to his open passenger door. Emmett was staring at me from the driver's seat, his facial features concerned. I noticed Alice was standing next to Edward.

"Get out," Edward said harshly.

Looking past Edward, I realized we were not in the place I wanted to be.

"What are we doing here?!" I shouted, amazed.

"Get _out_," Edward repeated, menacingly.

"I want to go to Charlie's! I have to see if he's okay! Edward, please!" I said frantically.

"Get out now – I'm not going to say it again!" he growled.

"No – I'm staying right here! I'm going back to Charlie's, whether you like it or not – he expects me home." I crossed my arms and twisted one leg over the other in the passengers' seat.

Edward shook his head, moving one hand up to the bridge of his nose – then it fell to his hip and he was looking at me in the car, shaking his head.

"So obstinate, aren't we?" he laughed uneasily – it was not merry. "I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice – I will have to use force."

I stared crossly at him, eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't."

But before I could protest further, he was grabbing for me in the car and, despite my thrashing body, he snatched me easily off of my seat and slung me over his shoulder. Using one arm to hold me tightly to him, he slammed shut the car door with the other. Turning on his heel, he led me into his family's home before us. Emmett and Alice followed close behind.

"Stop it! Stop it!" I pounded on Edward's back and kicked my legs up and down. "Put me down!"

"This would be so much more pleasant for you if you stopped thrashing about," he said, exasperated.

"I have to save Charlie! It's my fault!" I sobbed uncontrollably.

"Alice," Edward pleaded.

And before I knew it, I felt a cold "SLAP!" across my face. I ceased the pounding and was now gazing dumbly at Alice. Edward stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.

"That's _not_ what I meant Alice!" he nearly roared.

Alice frowned at him and said dryly, "She's on the verge of hysterics Edward! At least it calmed her down!"

"Alice – you _know _that's not what I meant!" he thundered.

Alice grabbed onto my hands in a calming manner, ignoring Edward's rage. She put her hand over my mouth and for a second I felt the urge to bit it, but I decided against it – for more reasons than one. A now steady flow of tears trickled down my face as I looked entreatingly into Alice's eyes.

"Bella, please listen – Rosalie is going to check your house now – Charlie will be fine. And it's not your fault for anything – do you understand? Right now, our family is doing the things we want to do right now, and that is keeping you and your family safe. Do you understand? Just nod if you do."

I nodded feebly.

"Good – Bella, understand that we all love you very much. None of us want anything to happen to you."

We were standing on the white wooden porch that led into the Cullen's giant, but homely, mansion. Edward smacked open the door and, with me on his shoulder, directed the three of us inside. He marched into the kitchen and placed me on one of the wooden chairs that made up a small kitchen table. I could tell it took extra effort on his part to be as gentle as he was with me. Then, I watched as he proceeded to pass irritably back and forth. Suddenly, so fast that I didn't see him do it, his face was an inch from my nose, his large topaz eyes deep and sincere.

"Bella, we're leaving tonight okay?" he said gently, staring hard into my chocolate eyes.

I frowned. "I thought we had this discussion already – we are _not _leaving!"

He narrowed his eyes and said severely, "Bella, this is serious. I do not want to put you in danger again! This is the last straw – you could have been killed tonight and I can't stand watching you get hurt over and over again! You're a trouble magnet!" He stomped up onto his feet again, turned his back to me briefly, and spun on me again. "A least in Europe or Asia you'll be away from werewolves and vampires set on killing you!" He grabbed onto my hand and looked down at it. My head was swimming from trying to keep up with his consistent mood changes. "It'll just be you and me, Bella. You don't have to worry about a thing – I promise to protect you."

His eyes were so full of love and self-loathing; it took me extra effort to look away from them. I sighed and said smoothly, "The Volturi are in Europe Edward. Let's not be hasty. And, no matter what you say, you have to remember that I have another family – besides you guys – that I care for and need to protect myself."

"The rest of my family will be here, Bella," he stated frankly.

I shook my head and looked down at my small, insignificant hands that he was now clasping in his long, lean, and physically powerful ones. Although I may be weak on the outside, I was not on the inside. I knew then that I was not going to let him talk me into something I truly did not want to do.

"No, Edward. I have to stay here. Charlie would wonder why I left before graduation and it would cause him even more stress than what he is already dealing with. Renee would loose it, of course, and most likely blame Charlie for the incident. It would give her even more reasons to call him a terrible father… She'd be tearing her hair out with worry for me – causing problems with her relationships with Phil… I just couldn't do it Edward! Don't you see?" I turned abruptly back to his face. He wasn't staring at me anymore, but looking down at my hands, his lips in a flat line and trembling slightly. Emmett and Alice were staring at me behind him, utterly stunned. I pressed onward, "This is how it has to be. I have to stay here – be away from the Volturi, protect my family, and to be in the only place that I know as home now. That's what I have to do – and nobody will stop me."

I was pretty sure that my recalcitrant behavior was bothering Edward to no end – he appeared irritated but didn't say anything at first. Before he could respond to my outburst, I said, "Take me back to Charlie's now please."

He shook his head and said, very quietly that I wasn't even sure I heard him say it, "You are so stubborn."

Then Alice cut into the conversation, walking around Edward to sit beside me at the table. She leaned across the wood so that her eyes were level with Edward and mine. "Edward – Bella is right. You can't just leave for Europe or Asia or wherever the hell you're thinking about. True, I can't read minds – but I can read the future. And I have a strange vibe that doing that would cause more pain than relieve you from it. I say stay here and let's protect her – the whole family. She'll be fine with us, I can guarantee it."

"You speak words Alice, but they have no substance," Edward said disdainfully. "I can hear your thoughts and you don't know if we'll be able to protect her."

Alice shook her head forcefully. "I think it's a matter of faith Edward. Not everything is always spelled out in black and white for you all the time. I think that's the problem with you – since you've been reading minds for so long, you have not been able to trust or have faith in anything anymore. You need to do that. I have faith Edward – I think everything will work out okay."

"Fine!" he spat. "We won't leave. But, Bella must _at least_ stay the night here so that we can all watch her."

"No – I can't do that," I said quickly.

"Charlie will be fine – Rosalie is checking up on him as we now speak."

"That doesn't mean he'll be safe the whole night – I have to be there with him! And I can't ask you're family to watch him the entire night – it's just unreasonable!"

"He'll be okay," Alice reassured. "I don't think they are heading that way anyway."

Alice's eyes retained a sort of glazed look and, although they were focused on my face, I knew she was looking at something entirely different. Edward's stare flicked over to Alice, his features resigned while he concentrated with her.

"No - …" Alice said after a minute, seeming to return back to reality. "She is moving away from your house Bella – Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper are still on her trail. Rosalie is at your house. That's all I could get…" she shook her head, frowning. "For some reason, I don't think the female was out there to attack tonight – instead, I have the sense that this was some sort of prelude of what is going to come – it's like some sort of game to them – to wind us up to a breaking point."

There was a snort and I twisted my head over to see Edward, his face screwed up in such a way that it was hardly recognizable.

"Well, it's going to take a little more than flipping over a car to scare us."

Emmett nodded behind Edward. He was leaning casually against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed in front of him, with one leg over the other. He looked powerful, menacing.

"I think there is a littler more to it than that though, Alice," he state calmly. "I think Jasper would know about this more than me, seeing as he participated in a war, but, anyway -" his own liquid gold eyes flickered over to us as he continued. "This is almost like a military strategy – Victoria is sending out a few of her "recruits" to assess the situation and to find weaknesses and loopholes, instead of running blindly around like she did before. She knows that we are protecting you Bella as well as the werewolves of La Push," he paused, and then went on, "Plus, I think she is trying, like Alice said, to make us nervous until we do something stupid. Personally, I don't think they are going to do anything further tonight – but I would be wary tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. There is no telling what they'll do."

Edward sat up in his seat and walked fluidly across the kitchen over to where the phone was sitting on the counter in the corner. He reached for it and, in a blink of an eye; he was in front of me again, eyes sparkling.

"Bella, call Charlie please. You are staying here tonight."

I shook my head and let out a sigh.

"Do you think if – well, if you give me a ten minute start, I could make a run for it out the back door and back to Charlie's?" I said, an awkward, half forced smile appearing on my features.

"Not a chance," he grinned as I hesitantly took the phone from him.

I sighed again. "You know, he's not going to let me stay here, right?"

He straightened, eyes narrowing. "_Make him_," was all he said.

My hands trembling, I dialed my number and held the phone up to my ear. After just one ring, my Dad's frantic voice could be heard on the other end.

"Hello?" I heard him say quickly into the phone. For some reason, I had the impression that he had been standing idly next to the phone in the kitchen, just waiting for one of us to call. Something in the back of my head wondered why he didn't call himself, for he had Edward's cell number…

"Dad – it's me," I exhaled, as I gazed into Edward's eyes before me, his features looking solemn and worried.

"Bella – where have you been? You don't know how worried I am! I was expecting you to call way before this!"

"I'm sorry, Dad – really I am," my heart was pounding and I hoped I could keep an even tone while I lied directly to my father. I still had serious trouble lying. "We've just been having so much fun – it has been kind of hectic. I thought you weren't coming back until late…"

"'Hectic'? 'Hectic'?! I've been tearing my hair out! And, I _did_ come home late. An hour late. I was expecting you home _then_. Where are you?" Charlie demanded.

I had a brief mental image of Charlie walking into our front door, putting away his police gear, rushing into the kitchen, pulling one of our kitchen table chairs up to the phone, and then sitting down and waiting for my call. Another feeling told me he didn't want to talk to Edward directly, therefore not calling his cell.

I sighed. Indeed, I was taken aback – even though Charlie was tougher than usual these days, I don't think I've ever seen him so – on edge.

"I'm at the Cullen's," I said wearily.

"And why are you at the Cullen's?! I was under the belief that you were coming straight home after the arcade!"

I was biting my tongue while my eyes jumped between every person sitting in the room with me – Emmett at the counter, Edward sitting on the floor in front of me, and Alice gazing at me across the kitchen table. I needed a reason for my being here – and fast. I could tell that my father was getting antsy. As I looked into Alice's large, concerned amber eyes however, an idea hit me.

"Well – Dad – you see… Alice wants to – well – she wants me to try on some of her clothes for around graduation time so that I look nice – you know Dad – girl stuff…" I knew Charlie didn't know anything about "girl stuff", based on some of my previous experiences with Jessica and Alice, so I prayed I was playing my cards right. "Anyway, she wanted to make a sort of night out of it and was hoping that you would allow me to… sleep-over?"

Emmett sort of shrunk to the side, his whole body shaking with silent laughter while I listened to the uncomfortable silence on the other end of the phone. Edward and Alice watched me with acquiescent looks.

"Dad?" I asked after a time.

There was a longer pause until he seemed to have composed himself enough to speak. "You want to… spend the night… at the Cullen's?" he choked.

"Yes, Dad. Carlisle and Esme will be here all night you know – and – uh – Alice has extra space in her room so I'll be sleeping there," I continued to lie. Truth be told, there were no beds in any of the several rooms in the Cullen's house – vampires do not need to sleep.

"Aren't you stretching this 'one day to yourself' thing a little far Bells?"

"Please Dad – it's just one night! I swear to you _nothing will happen_!" I emphasized the last part.

"Bella – I'd like to but I'm going to have to say no. You have time you need to serve. I can't let you do this. As your father I -"

But I wasn't listening to the last part. Edward was leaning in close to one of my ears and whispering, "Let me talk to him."

I shook my head frantically and he grinned, adding, "I'm the parental supervision."

Comprehension came to me and I interrupted whatever lecture Charlie was giving me with, "If you talked to Carlisle for reassurance, would you feel better?"

Another long pause and my pulse quickened for I knew this was my last chance at getting Charlie's approval or else I would be getting myself into deeper trouble.

A sigh… "Put him on the phone…" Charlie said, exasperated.

As soon as Charlie finished this line, a smooth hand clasped around the hand of mine that was holding the phone and pried my fingers off of it. Edward took the phone to his ear, and, to my utmost astonishment, mimicked Carlisle's voice exactly.

"Hello Chief Swan," Edward said, in the calm, silky voice that is Carlisle's. He was even able to copy Carlisle's slight English accent that caused my jaw to go slack as I stared at him in awe. Alice was rolling her eyes.

Due to the fact my hearing wasn't as heightened as the vampires sitting around me in the room, I could not hear everything Charlie was saying on the other end of the line. For me, it was a one-sided conversation in which I had to infer everything from Edward's replies.

"Please, please, Chief Swan, you don't have to worry… Yes… Yes, we have _plenty _of room for her… No – they won't be going to any clubs – I can assure you that – I'm sure they have had enough fun for one night…" There was a pause in the conversation and Edward obtained an amused look as a wide grin spread across his features. "Chief Swan – _Charlie_, if I may – what kind of household do you think I run?" Edward stood up in one quick movement and sauntered over to the counter towards Emmett, stopped, and placed his free hand on his hip. He turned around and stared at me. "Nothing of _that _sort will be going on here." Then he winked subtly at me and I could feel my cheeks go hot.

Suddenly Edward's amused expression vanished only to be replaced with an extremely serious, intense one. He walked back towards me and stopped when his figure was looming over me. I looked up into his fierce, topaz eyes that were looking back into mine. In a flash, his free hand was holding one of my own, his thumb making circling motions in my palm.

"I can guarantee Chief Swan, your daughter will be safe here with us," he spoke to him softly.

I knew he meant every word.

"Thank you Charlie. I promise you'll get your daughter back in on piece tomorrow. You have a good rest of the night. Goodnight."

Edward's arm that was holding the phone went limp at his side as he crouched back down to my level. He looked briefly to the side as he put the phone on the floor, then back at me.

"Did not go as smoothly as I planned, but at least you can stay here for the night," he said in his normal voice again.

I nodded, smiling.

"That was amazing Edward! You copied his voice so well!"

He shook his head, suddenly distraught.

"Yes, I know." I was about to ask him what was wrong when he continued abruptly. "Bella – are you okay?" His eyes shifted off of mine slightly until they were focused on something either behind me or at something on my forehead.

"Yes, I'm fine – why do you ask?"

"Because, not only do you have a rather large bump on your head and a dried scrape on your forehead, but you've flipped over in a car, blanked out for about five minutes, and have been emotionally scarred in more than one area."

"Was it only five minutes?" I asked, stunned. It felt so much longer than that…

He gave me a befuddled look, something between puzzlement and exasperation. "Five minutes was more than enough time – if I was human, I swear I would have been having heart palpitations!"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Not funny – it wasn't that serious."

"'Wasn't that serious'? Are you sick?" He put his hand to my forehead then took it away. "Because if you were, I would understand this nonsensical talk, but if you weren't…" he shook his head, giving me a blank stare. "Please be sincere with me Bella. I'm not trying to be funny – I'm serious when I say I worry about you. None of this is entirely healthy for a human -" then he rolled his eyes suddenly, "Except – honestly – I'm not even sure if you are entirely human after all the things you've gone through."

I grabbed his hand and held it tightly between both of mine. "Edward, I'm fine. Look at me – I'm alive and whole. All I need is a shower and I'm fine."

There was a "RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!" that made all of us, even Alice, jump. Emmett's hand flew into the pocket of his pants and he grabbed something out of it – the small silver cell phone. He flipped it open and held it up to his ear.

"Yep – that's ours… Yes, I know it's totaled. No – we didn't hit anyone else. I accept the fees. Thanks for your assistance. Yeah, no problem at all. We're fine – _thanks for asking._ Bye."

We were all staring at Emmett, who was smiling broadly.

"Yeah – that was the repair shop. I called them to pick up the Volvo after the whole incident… Sorry to say Edward – your car's totally busted," his grin widened as he shrugged. "Nothing they can do for you."

Edward was frowning at him, looking a little more irked at Emmett then you would expect, which I assumed was because of something he was hearing in Emmett's thoughts and not from what he said. Right then Alice butted into the conversation.

"Okay then – as long as we wait for Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Rosalie to show back up, we might as well do what we said we'd do."

I gave her a dumbfounded look. "What's that?"

"Try on some clothes silly! First, take a shower and clean up your wounds – I honestly don't know how much longer I can deal with the dried blood all over your forehead…"

I bit my lip. Why wasn't I paying attention before? I didn't even realize how bad the wound was. It must have been a hundred times worse for Edward.

"Then I can work with your hair and we can try on some outfits! What do you say?" Alice asked enthusiastically.

"Wait a minute," Edward interrupted. "I don't like this at all Alice. I'd rather have Bella stay close to me, just for tonight."

"Are you implying that I won't be able to watch out for Bella's welfare as good as you can? Honestly Edward," she stood up. "I can sense when something might go wrong. If anything, she might be safer with me than you. You are so paranoid."

Edward appeared annoyed at this little fact, but gave me one last look before exiting out of the kitchen and calling over his shoulder, "I'll be in my room then listening to music."

Emmett quickly followed Edward's example, except moving over to the adjacent room where the new widescreen television was hooked up (to replace the one Edward so conveniently smashed to pieces).

Alice sighed and then took me by the hand and began to drag me upstairs. She was shaking her head, agitated, and said something facetious under her breath that sounded distinctly like, "Men."

-

Usually, after a nice, hot, steaming shower, one feels clean and refreshed. This should be especially true when you are standing in a bathroom this huge. Alice's shower had so many silver plated nozzles for the shower, the corresponding bath, for the hot and cold, and even a showerhead with water pressure control and different settings for the water flow. As soon as Alice pushed me into her bathroom and shut the door on me, it took me ten minutes alone just to figure out how to work the shower, another ten to fix the water settings that suited me, and then twenty minutes for the actual shower itself. I had to scrub all the dirt caked in my hair, the soot off my skin, bits of rumble off in odd places, and, most importantly, the blood that was encrusted on my head and any other place I could find. Knowing Alice, she was bound to be getting impatient with me, but I didn't care. I took my time to be as thorough as possible as well as try out her assortment of exotic body washes and extravagant, perfume-smelling shampoo's and conditioners that were making my strawberry scented shampoo pale significantly in comparison.

Yet, despite all the riches of Alice's calming, elaborate bathroom, I felt dirty and soiled inside and out – and I couldn't fathom why. Staring at myself in the mirror, I felt different – like I was looking at another image that was not my own. One of Alice's peach-colored fluffy towels was wrapped around my head, covering my brown hair, and another was twisted around my body. The only parts of me that stood out in the oval, bronze decorated mirror over the sink were my dull chestnut eyes and the long scrape across my forehead. Suddenly, my thoughts floated to the dream I had earlier that night and how strange it was. Perhaps that was why I felt weird…

"_Come and feel infinity… eternity…_"

Why couldn't I get that out of my head?

I squinted at myself in the mirror and my eyes widened in shock:

My eyes had flashed a shockingly golden color that darkened into a merciless blood, ruby red.

I stumbled backwards, slipped on the wet tile, and landed square on my bottom, causing a loud "BANG!" when my back hit the wall and a simultaneous commotion from Alice's room.

"Bella? Are you alright in there?" Alice called, knocking on her bathroom door. "You've taken an awfully long time…"

"Ha-ha – Yeaaaaaah…" I laughed a little too heartily, my pulse quickening as I sprang to my feet and rushed back over to the mirror to examine my eyes. "It was just a little accident – could you bring me the first aide kit?"

There was a groan outside the door. Ever since I met the Cullen's, Carlisle kept a first aide kit from the hospital in the house because of how prone I was to accidents.

"Bella – what are we going to do with you? Did you cut yourself just now?"

"Oh – no – I slipped on the tile – I just need a bandage for the scrape on my head – that's all."

"Hmm, okay. I'll be right back. Oh – and, before I go, please be more cautious. Edward's going to blame me for whatever happens to you since you are on my watch now – okay?"

"Yes – don't worry Alice…" I replied, pulling open my eyes in the mirror to take a closer look. My pulse was settling – no more flashes of gold…

Or red.

_It's just my imagination getting the best of me again – I need to relax!_

But the image of myself – like the Cullen's – gave me a fright that I didn't quite understand. For the longest time, I was sure that I wanted to be a vampire – and, even as I stared at myself in the mirror, I was still sure that's what I wanted – an eternity with them. But then something struck me like never before – I began to think of Charlie, Renee, and Jacob and how much that kind of change would hurt them. I thought of myself never aging – a stone relic the rest of my days, watching as the people I loved and cared about die before my eyes. Then my mind continued to wander until I saw myself taking innocent life, a monster, unable to control myself, with glowing ruby eyes…

No.

I wouldn't be like that, I told myself. I would be with my new family, Edward, forever. And, besides, I wouldn't be like every other vampire – I would be just like the Cullen's – hunting other animals instead of humans. We're different – _I _would be different…

But, as I looked at myself in the mirror, I knew that new thoughts had slowly crept into my mind – something other than the unbelievable pain I would have to endure for three days during the transformation. I knew then that I began to doubt if that's what I really wanted.

"Bella – I got the band-aids. Are you coming out now?" Alice questioned outside the bathroom door.

It had only been about ten seconds since she had left to get the first aide kit and she was already back. Everything that had passed through my mind did so in those ten seconds.

"Yes Alice – I'm coming…"

And with that, I opened the door and Alice began to fuss over me.

-

"Alice! It's been an hour – what are you doing?"

Edward's voice rang loudly through Alice's bedroom door. I was sitting on a comfortable plaid colored couch in Alice's "room" dressed in yet another one of her "casual outfit" combinations for me. This time it was a pair of sleek, form-fitting designer jeans that were totally unlike anything I owned from the thrift shops I went to. The shirt I was smushed in was another tight, bright red, long sleeved number that was, supposedly, to bring out my eyes as well as my hair. Most of Alice's clothes were way too small for me, and this was no different. Because of her petit size, Alice's pants acted more like Capri's on me, some of them too small to even clip properly around my waist. Her shirts squeezed my body so much that my boobs looked larger than normal. But that did not stop her. Now she had my hair pulled up in a lopsided bun behind me, with stray hairs popping out everywhere.

"It looks messy," I had commented earlier.

"It's _supposed _to look messy Bella – that's the style," she had replied curtly.

Now I was there on the couch waiting for the next contraption she was going to stuff me into. I recalled the past hour in my head then – sure, the two of us had our moments, but I realized then that I would never understand fashion.

"Alice!"

"Edward – You should know! Would you please relax? I heard you the first time," she said sweetly from inside the depths of her enormous walk-in closet. Then she said more softly, "There has got to be something in here that will fit you more exactly Bella – I just know it."

"Alice," I sighed. "It's been fun, but I think we should call this whole thing quits, just for tonight."

But she wasn't listening to me. Her eyes sort of dulled somewhat for a second as she stepped out of her closet. Then a small half-smile crept over her features. In a split second, she was at her bedroom door, opening it to a physically stunned Edward in the doorway. His eyes were wide, and, to my amazement, mouth just slightly agape. I knew he was watching Alice's thoughts and listening to them as well. Before I knew it, he snapped back to normal, a stern composure now occupying his looks. His eyes briefly flashed to me, more stunning that usual (causing my insides to melt) as Alice iterated something to him that I could not comprehend, her lips a wordless quiver. In response to them, he nodded and exited – just like that – without a word to me whatsoever.

"Now Bella," Alice sprang on me suddenly. "I think I've found something that will suit you quite well."

"Okay," I said absent-mindedly. I was more concerned with why Edward had left so abruptly and on trying to decipher what conversation had past between Alice and him than on what she saying to me now.

Alice swished into her closet and reappeared again with something so unreal, I couldn't believe she was serious.

"Alice – No," I mouthed, eyes wide and shaking my head.

"Bella – Yes," she grinned, nodding as she sashayed smoothly to my side and began to pull the red shirt she had me in over my head.

Five minutes later, I was staring at myself in the mirror, feeling like I would have a heart attack.

I was wearing a shimmering, glossy, silky white dress that looked almost like lingerie than it did formal dress wears. The sleeves were simple white spaghetti straps that held the dress above my breasts. In the back, there was a low dip where my back was bare, stopping just before my tail bone. The dress was supposed to reach my ankles, but, because it was Alice's, it stopped in choppy, wavy, triangular cuts all around me a little ways above my heels. My hair was still in the "messy" bun and my feet were stuffed in these white flats that reminded me of slippers. All in all, I was awe struck as Alice stood proudly at my side.

"Alice – I – What – ?" I stammered, speechless.

"Ah – shh!" she silenced me. "You just need a tad of make-up and you'll look great."

She took out some mascara and began to layer my eyelashes with it.

"Alice – what is this for?" I asked, suspicious.

"Nothing," she replied honestly – almost _too honest_. "I just love this dress on you and I'm going to make you look your best while wearing it."

"'While wearing it'?" I continued, puzzled.

She didn't answer and when I opened my mouth to ask her something else, she took the opportunity to add some dark red lipstick on my lips, preventing me from speaking. Despite this, I persisted in my futile attempt to form a question, moving my lips as Alice spread the lipstick around.

"Bella – please, would you stop moving your lips? This would be so much easier…" Alice cried, irritated.

As a response, I furrowed my eyebrows and stared hard at her while she finished with the lipstick. Afterwards, she began to apply powder to my cheeks.

"Thank goodness your so unusually pale Bella – our skin color is pretty close," she mentioned, smiling.

"Why do you even _need _powder?" I asked, getting a bit agitated.

She shrugged. "It's just for kicks."

"Humph," I answered.

"There, Bella, that wasn't so bad," Alice nodded, as she scooped up the make-up that was lying around the couch and put it away. "I think you're ready now."

Suddenly I felt my stomach drop and I blanched significantly. "Ready? Ready for what?" I asked, barely audible.

"Come and you'll see," said Alice with a mischievous grin spreading across her features. Her thin, frail hand was extended before me on the couch and I extended my hand outwards towards her, but I didn't take it – I was hesitating. Yet Alice didn't care – she grabbed my hand and in one agile yank, I was standing on my feet in the strange slipper-like shoes of hers. Alice, still clasping my hand, dragged me over to her bedroom door.

"Haha – okay Alice," I said as I dragged my feet and lagged behind Alice, feeling like I was being set-up for something. "This has been a really fun dress-up – but I would _really _love it if you could find me some actual pajamas or clothes I could wear to bed tonight, since you don't sleep. That would be great, if you don't mind… It's time for me to give you back your dress."

"Silly Bella!" Alice turned to me when we reached the door, smiling a smile that was almost supercilious, like I didn't know something very obvious. She reached out her free hand, clasped the doorknob, and turned it, pulling the door all the way back so that the hall light was blaring into the room. "You _are _wearing your pajamas!" Then I could feel her push my back so that I stumbled into the hallway. I turned around abruptly and was about to demand why Alice could possible imagine me wearing something like – like _this _to bed, when something in front of me made me hold that response right on the tip of my tongue.

Standing with his back turned to me – completing dressed in a black satin pair of pajamas, was Edward. It was only the second time I've ever seen him fully dressed in black, and just like before, I was momentarily blown away. He was barefoot and the pajamas looked loose-fitting and comfortable. The top long-sleeved shirt had a collar and when he turned around to look at me, I noticed the shirt had black buttons running all the way down the front. His pants had a simple strap at the top that one could use to tie it securely around their waste. I was numbed to the spot, too stunned to put together a proper sentence as Edward's golden light eyes scanned my entire body from head to foot, looking overtly taken aback as he staggered backwards slightly. My cheeks grew hot as I suddenly became uncomfortably aware that my previous thought had been true – I _was_ wearing lingerie – _Alice's lingerie! _And Edward was looking at me in it. Oh God help me.

"Alice – you continue to amaze me," Edward said still a tad shell-shocked.

"I know," Alice said smoothly from next to me.

"Alice," I hissed. "I thought this was an actual _dress_ – I thought it was just the two of us having some fun!"

Edward laughed somewhat, took one of my hands that were dangling next to me and then twirled me into his arms. "What? Are you not having fun?"

It hit me then that this must have been what Edward and Alice were discussing in the doorway of her bedroom. My breath caught in my mouth when I felt something cool slide past my jaw line.

"N-no -," I stammered – it was suddenly extremely difficult for me to concentrate straight because something was tickling up my stomach. "I just didn't know you two – owned…" _lingerie_ "… pajamas." An awkward smile crossed my lips. Something in the pit of my stomach told me that this was not all that they had in store for me.

"Well – of course you know we don't sleep – they are something nice to lounge around in however – never really used them much though," and Edward gestured to his silk shirt. "However – I think you should wear _that _to bed more often," he grinned his crooked smile as he eyed Alice's white number on me again. Before I knew it, his face was swimming into view, lips inches from mine, eyes smoldering.

"Will you?" he asked.

"Not a chance," I breathed, smiling impishly. "This is a one time thing – in fact, I'd _really _like to go change," and I tried to pull out of Edward's arms but he wasn't having it.

"Hum, well then, I'm just going to have to make the best of this one time aren't I?"

And he leaned in those few extra millimeters and kissed me on the lips. My heart was pounding in my ears and I could feel myself going dizzy – yet again – and then Edward pulled away, elated.

"Un-uh – you two are not done yet though!" Alice intoned sarcastically.

We both flashed her dumbfounded looks. Then Edward was rolling his eyes.

"You need to dance," she intoned amiably, nodding.

"Oh no Alice. _No dancing_! I have danced my last dance!" I replied acidly.

"Nonsense – you'll be good at this kind of dancing!" she said merrily, grabbing my hand yet again and dragging me back down the stairs.

"Alice!" I cried, trying desperately not to slip and fall all the way down the steps. "This is _not_ what I had in mind!"

"Oh – come on Bella! Don't spoil the fun!" Alice rushed me into the huge living room where Emmett was lounging on the couch, with the remote in his hand, flipping aimlessly through all the channels on the widescreen, plasma TV that was hanging on the wall. He was obviously bored; his head was rested on his hand that was leaning on the armrest of the enormous couch there.

"Alice! What are you doing?" Emmett asked curiously when she snatched the remote out of his hand as we passed by.

She didn't reply, instead gesturing for me to sit on the couch. I almost screamed from fright when Edward jumped over the couch top and landed in a seat right next to me. It was almost as if he came out of thin air. He was eyeing Alice with an air of beguilement.

"You know she's not going to like this Alice," Edward shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"Well Edward, you really never know until you try," Alice responded bluntly, as she switched the TV channel to AUX.

"Wait a second – what's going on?" Emmett asked, finally looking around at all of us. His eyes spotted Edward and me and for a second I thought I saw his mouth hang open. But I can't be certain because the next thing I knew, he was smirking at us.

"Nice outfit Bella," he commented serenely as he eyed the black pajamas Edward was wearing. "Same goes for you too," he added, sneering.

Edward gave Emmett a look that whipped the laugh clear off his face and turn back to Alice.

Alice was fumbling around in a closet that was located to the right next to the widescreen television. It was small and I couldn't get a good look inside of it. From the brief glance I did get, it looked liked it was packed with rows and rows of DVD's, video games, cords, wires, and other electronic devices. Finally, as Alice withdrew from the closet she was carrying two huge plastic mats with cords sticking out one end and plopped them on the floor in front of the TV. Then she sauntered over to the huge coffee table in front of the couch, placed her hands on either side of the shorter end of it, simply plucked it off the floor, and then placed it over to the side as if it weighed nothing but air. With more space open, she quickly straightened the two hard plastic mats at an even distance from each other on the floor and then took each of its two cords and wired them into a game console sitting below the television. I was not into video games, like most teens were nowadays – I couldn't control a remote control even if my life depended on it. Because of my lack of video game interest, I had no idea what game console was sitting under the television and no idea what kind of game required huge mats with arrows on them to play it. Then a light-bulb flickered on in my head at what Alice said previously…

_"You'll be good at this kind of _dancing_!"_

Uh-oh.

"Hum," Emmett said, grinning. "I haven't played this game in _ages_. Got boring after awhile." Then Emmett glanced over to me again, and his smile widened considerably. "Although, I think tonight, it'll be fun again."

I groaned as Alice turned on the game console, and stood on one of the mats in the center of the living room.

"Get up Bella and stand next to me! Oh – and you might want to take off those shoes," she nodded at the white slipper-like shoes I was wearing.

I shook my head until I felt like it was going to fall off. "No way Alice – any game that involves dancing is hell. Alice – please understand – I _can't _dance!"

"Sure you can! Oh come on Bella – don't be such a baby and try!" Before I knew it, Alice was pulling me off the couch and onto the mat next to her. I stared pleadingly at Edward for help, but he was sitting next to Emmett now, watching the spectacle play out with interest. Emmett looked like he was going to run around the room with glee.

"DDR MAX 2!! SELECT A STYLE!" the TV yelled at us.

More machines talking to me – I swear, I'll never get used to it.

"Bella, put your feet in the middle – yes – on the circle," she nodded as I copied Alice's position on the mat. "Now, let me select everything. Just stay like that."

"What game is this, exactly?" I asked Alice as she first selected "Versus" and then choose her difficultly level as "Heavy".

"Dance Dance Revolution – or, better know as 'DDR'," Emmett said slyly as he eyed me on the ridiculous mat. Then he laughed heartily at the expression on my face after given this information. "Really Bella. It isn't that bad. As long as you like music (and who doesn't?) then it shouldn't be that hard. You just use your feet to hit the arrows on the mat with the arrows corresponding them on the screen."

I gulped as Alice moved her dainty feet briefly onto my mat and selected my difficultly level as "Light" when I just stared at the screen, too aghast to move.

"Bella, wipe that expression off your face. It's not that bad. And – _trust me_, 'Beginner' is _too easy_," Alice stated frankly.

"Easy for you!" I accused, shaking as a play-list full of songs I've never heard of in my life popped up on the television.

Alice's lips tightened at my comment, but her eyes stayed focused on the screen while she selected a song. "Hum – how about this one? It has a good beat and a decent solo part I suppose."

"'Will I?'? I've never heard -"

"Okay then!" and before I could finish my sentence, Alice selected the song.

I waited while the screen went black briefly and then appeared with a different screen that had some sort of meter at the top and a background with the words "Will I?" taking up most of the space. "Round One" appeared on the screen and then disappeared. The song began and I gulped as I saw arrows popping up all over my side of the screen. But, if I thought that was bad, it was _nothing _compared to the amount of arrows over on Alice's side. I had no idea when I was supposed to start pressing the arrows (and, honestly, I had no idea where, precisely, the arrows were on the mat) so I just starting taping my feet all around the board like an idiot. Behind me, I could hear the muffled sounds of suppressed laughter. Before I could turn around and say something snide to the two – _vampires _– sitting behind me, Alice grabbed my hand (while she was still dancing, mind you) and said, "Bella – step on the arrows when they reach the top of the screen! Look at me!"

I didn't just look at Alice – I _gaped_. I shouldn't have been surprised in the least that she was making every single arrow with what looked like little effort on her part, but I was. And, what was more, I was _jealous_. Why couldn't I do that? How could Alice be so flawless?

With an aggressive jump back into the middle of my mat, I concentrated on the arrows in front of me, and made a huge effort to smack every single arrow that passed by me. While Alice moved like the wind, with beautiful, almost flowing motions, I made sounds that sounded like a stampede was stomping into the living room.

"Bella -," Edward choked. He sounded like he was almost out of breath – even though vampires, technically, did not need to breathe. "Y-You don't need to hit every arrow like that." More stifled laughter.

"Shut up – I can do this," I said between clenched teeth.

"Okay then," Edward replied, suppressing more laughter. Emmett made a brief sound that was between a bear roar and a screeching car. I didn't look at Alice for her reaction – I could already feel my cheeks on fire from not only my exuberant moves on the dance pad, but from downright embarrassment.

To my relief, the song ended only shortly after. I used the last of my heated energy to stomp angrily off the mat to sit on the couch as far as possible from Edward and Emmett whose faces, if they were human, would have been bright red from laughing.

Alice turned promptly around to face the two "men" while Alice's score and my score zoomed up on the television.

"You two are unbelievable," Alice fired off suddenly. I looked up, startled. "I was _trying _to get Bella to relax and to have a little fun, but you two ruined the whole thing with your endless laughter."

"Oh, come on Alice," Emmett said, while Edward stared ahead without emotion. "You got to admit, that was _the _best game I've ever watched in, well, my life really."

"Bella – good job!" Edward said abruptly, swiveling his head around to look at me, smiling.

"What?" I blinked at him. Was he trying to be funny?

"Look!" he outstretched his hand to point towards the TV.

I glanced up at my score on the TV and turned back to him, not surprised in the slightest that a big fact "D" flashed on screen for me. Alice's score was flashing "AAA".

"So?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Bella," he gave a soft laugh and scooted down the couch towards me. He stopped when I was sandwiched between him and the armrest. "This is your first time ever playing this game – right?"

I squinted my eyes at him, not sure what he was implying. I nodded, frowning. "I don't play video games – especially ones that involve _dancing_."

Edward gave me another breath-taking smile. "Of course. What I'm saying though, is that you didn't fail, even though this is your first time playing."

"In case you haven't gotten the memo, Edward, a D is a fail," I snorted back at him.

"No – not in this game. An E is failure. You did better than an E Bella! Good job!"

"Yes Bella! Good job! I didn't even realize!" And Alice was bounding over to me in one fluid dance step. She offered me a "high five" in the air, and I took it sheepishly, smiling somewhat.

"Yeah – good job Bella," Emmett grinned from across the couch at me. Then one of his huge hands was on Edward's shoulder in a flash which he used to pull Edward backwards so fast that the action was nothing more than a blur. Edward landed on his back, his face upward looking at Emmett, with his legs still dangling over the couch.

"Now its time that _we _verse each other," Emmett said, smirking, while bending over Edward. Edward looked back up at him, unblinking.

"Be reasonable, Emmett, let's think about this for a second. When was the last time we played this game?" Edward asked, with a hint of sarcasm in his musical voice.

"Probably about two or three years ago," Emmett replied, narrowing his eyes at him.

"And the last time we versed each other, those two or three years ago, who won?"

Emmett snorted, almost growling. "Oh, I see how it is. You're a sissy and don't want to compete."

Edward raised an eyebrow at him, outstretched his long, slender index finger, and pointed it at his chest, grinning slightly. "Oh, _I'm _a 'sissy' am I?"

Emmett didn't say anything, replying only by moving faster than lightning by wrenching Edward off the couch and then slamming him on the dance mat.

"Fine," Edward shot up to his feet and spun around to look at me when I gasped at what took place. He smiled a reassuring smile at me and rubbed his head slightly. His eyes flicked over to Emmett, who was focusing on the screen in front of him while tapping his foot impatiently on one of the arrows to select the song he wanted. Edward's smile widened and he slammed his foot on the opposite arrow of the mat so that the slider used to select the music began to spin wildly in the opposite direction that Emmett was going.

"Nope," Edward said, almost like he was bored. "I don't want to play that song."

Emmett gave him a glance that would have made me coward in fear, but it just made Edward more entertained.

"If we're going to compete, I'm picking the song," Edward said coolly, as he lifted his foot up abruptly. It stopped on some song called "Max Unlimited", which was written all in red lettering. Somehow that seemed quite ominous to me. "I want to do this one."

Now it was Emmett's turn to bark a laugh. "Oh I see, Edward. You want to play the exact same song we did last time."

"Yep," Edward responded bluntly. He was on my mat, and I watched dumbstruck as he switched his difficulty to "Heavy".

"So you can beat my butt again -," Emmett stated.

"Yep," answered Edward, staring at the screen, his toe hovering over the "X" select button.

"And then afterwards, wallow in your glory."

"Yep."

Edward selected the song, and Emmett was rolling his eyes.

"You know, that's not going to happen this time Edward – I can guarantee it," Emmett smirked.

"Don't make guarantee's you can't keep Emmett. That's bad business," Edward said, smile widening as the screen flashed "Round Two" and the song began.

Both Edward and Emmett braced themselves over the mats, but I couldn't understand why. No arrows were showing up as the song started. Suddenly, when the song paused briefly and then started up again at a faster tempo, arrows bombarded the screen. They were going so fast, I could barely see them. I had no idea how the heck a _normal _human being could possibly play this song – it was mind-boggling. I felt like I could pass out with the intensity of it. What was more was that both Emmett and Edward were hitting all of the notes without a care in the world. Emmett looked like an enormous, graceful monster of some sort, his feet tapping each note on the mat. Edward was just as graceful, if not more, as his feet glided over the dance pad like a ghost would. Alice seemed unaffected by this competition. She stared ahead, almost like she could be doing something more worthwhile with her free time. My eyelids on the other hand, felt like they had been super-glued to my head. They were wide open in amazement at what was going on in front of me.

Then I realized what made the competition between the two difficult – throughout the entire game, the two of them tried desperately to mess up the other's dance steps. Obviously, knocking one completely off the mat was not allowed (although the two came very close to doing so to each other) so other more sneaky/sly methods were needed. Edward was clever and moved around so that he was able to hit wrongs notes on Emmett's mat, while still maintaining his own score. Emmett was obsessed with the strategy of knocking Edward's feet back before they could hit the note. A lot of shoulder rubbing and pounding between the two was displayed throughout the game – Edward almost falling off once when Emmett elbowed him _hard _in the side. Eventually, the crazy song came to a close and the two of them stopped their dancing at once, only to remain rigid on the dance mats, awaiting their scores.

"Holy crow," I cooed quietly after the game, sitting up straight in my seat next to Alice on the couch.

"Oh that's nothing," Alice responded. "You should see when Edward and _I _play."

My mind couldn't even visualize that scenario.

"Shit!" Emmett swore under his breath as he stalked off the dance mat and back over to the couch.

Edward had a hand on his hip and was staring coyly at Emmett, a triumphant expression written on his face. Both of their scores on the television read "AA", so in order to pick the winner, one had to look at the hard data numbers below the reading. Edward won by a mere one hundred points.

"Told you not to guarantee anything," Edward said, a tint of arrogance marring his voice.

"Shut up."

Alice rose in the seat next to me so fast that I almost shouted in alarm. "Well, this isn't going anywhere. Bella – are you going to play anymore?" she turned to me.

"Uh – no – but, that's okay. I can watch," I nodded enthusiastically.

"No – I have another game we can play – it'll be fun for all of us!" And like a cheetah chasing its prey, Alice zoomed off the couch, grabbed the two mats off the floor, turned off the game, and was inside the game closet once again faster than I could blink.

"Alice – come on," Edward said, shaking his head. "Don't you think you're taking this a little far?"

Alice didn't respond, instead emerging from the closet with a large, white box in her hand. From the angle I was looking at it, it appeared to be some sort of board game.

"Ho yes!" Emmett said when he laid eyes on the box. "How old is this? Has to be at _least _ten years… Wow – the last time Rosalie and I played this game, we had our clothes –"

"Emmett!" Edward interrupted abruptly in the middle of his sentence, his face alarmed.

"Oh – uh – sorry," Emmett smiled over at me weakly. "You might not want to hear that story."

"No – it's okay!" I assured them, blushing. "Truly, I don't mind."

"Bella, don't provoke him," Edward pleaded.

"Never mind that," Alice intervened. She placed the box on the floor and opened its contents for us to see. She pulled out a huge plastic white mat and spread it across the floor. It had colored red, yellow, green and blue spots all over it. Immediately I recognized what game she was going to have us play. A black arrow spinner with the same colored dots on it was then laid on the floor next to the mat.

"We'll just take turns on who spins – whoever is closest to the spinner," Alice said.

"Twister?" I murmured.

"Yep! This is going to be great!" Alice clapped her hands together excitedly. "Have you ever played Bella?"

"Yeah – with my mom a couple times. We used to play it when either of us felt stressed about something. For my mom, that was usually before she went on a date with someone."

"Good then, I don't have to explain," Alice nodded. "I'll spin first!"

Here we go again.

-

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Emmett – you're on my hair!" I accused, my words a wild mush.

"Alice? But you barely have any hair at all!"

"This isn't Alice – it's Bella!"

"Oh."

The four of us were in a tangled mess on the Twister mat. I was trying desperately to maintain my gymnastics "bridge" position because stretching out below me was Edward's torso. My head was dangling backwards so that my hair was spread out across the mat where Emmett was sprawled out in a position that could only be described as a pretzel, one of his feet occupying a spot where my hair was. He lifted his bare foot off of my hair (all of us were barefoot in order to play the game) and pushed my hair over away from his foot. Alice had her legs intertwined between Emmett and Edward's feet, one hand supporting most of her body weight as she used her other hand to spin the spinner. How we all got into these positions in a span of about ten minutes, I couldn't quite understand. Alice was the most nimble of all of us, her small, svelte body able to contort into shapes that I could never imagine myself doing, even if I ever became a vampire myself.

"Right hand yellow," Alice said as she twisted her body around like an acrobat into a new position. Below me, I could hear Edward slap his hand one row up and Emmett slip his hand up one row as well. I groaned – it was becoming unusually difficult to keep myself balanced the way I was – my hands were already stretched out very far from each other, making them strain under the weight. Now I had to move my hand over another row – distancing them even farther apart from each other. I gritted my teeth and slowly slid my hand along the plastic so that it made a "zip!" noise in the process. I bit my lip as I suddenly became consciously aware of how much I truly weighed.

"Bella – are you okay?" I heard Edward ask from underneath me.

"Okay – left foot red!" Alice had spun the spinner again.

"Crap," I said when I shifted my foot down a space. "I don't know how much longer I'll be – Ah!"

My right hand skidded over farther so that both of my hands slipped off of the mat. I began to tumble backwards as my left foot gave way under me. Suddenly, the air was almost completely knocked out of me when I hit something that resembled stone. Wheezing for air, I realized what had occurred. Edward had moved so quickly from underneath me, that I'm surprised he caught me before I hit the floor. Alice rushed over to my side as well and was looking at me smiling. Emmett was laughing over in his corner of the mat.

"Well," I huffed. "I guess I lost." I gave a feeble smile of confidence as I got out of Edward's arms and went to sit back on the couch. "You guys go ahead and play the rest. I'll watch."

"Nah," Emmett shook his head. "It's no fun without you Bella!"

"It's getting late," Edward said taking a seat next to me on the couch. His head turned to the front door, face riddled with anxiety. I knew what he was thinking, but I knew he didn't want to say anything out loud in case I might worry. Problem is, despite both Alice's efforts and his own, I had been unsettled this whole time.

_Why are they not back yet?_

"You should be going to bed Bella," Edward's topaz eyes without warning flickered to me, smiling coolly. "You can sleep in my room."

My heartbeat sped up and the breath was caught in my throat. Then Alice sprang lithely off of the floor, pushed the Twister mat aside (with Emmett still on it), and made her way over to the stereo system to the left of the television. In a flash, the room was filled with soft jazz music that I had never heard before. Alice turned around as Emmett got off the Twister mat and sat on the couch next to us, eyeing Alice suspiciously.

"_Now _what are you up to Alice?" Emmett inquired.

But she did not answer. Instead, she began to dance so swiftly, that a ballerina would have been driven to tears. The rhythm of the music almost possessed her body as she leaped around the floor in a serious of sinuously moving steps. She flowed like water in a stream and I was captivated – mesmerized by her beauty and grace. And then, almost as if the music was calling to Emmett as well, he bounced off the couch to join Alice in her smooth dance. Then I felt something on my cheek that drew my head away from the scene before me into something just as dazzling.

His eyes burned with an extremity that made me feel uneasy. "Bella, would you like to dance?"

"Edward – I don't like to dance," I murmured back.

"Please? For me?" His looked entreatingly into my eyes and for the first time in my life I was able to fully understand the depth of his emotions. He was afraid of something and it scared me.

"Okay," I whispered delicately.

His hand moved from my face and clasped onto one of my own hands. He pulled me off the couch and into the middle of the room where Emmett and Alice were already twirling effortlessly to the music. Edward turned to me and moved his hands to my waist so that he could position me correctly in front of him.

"Edward -," I protested. I was hoping that he would slip his feet under my own like last time.

He grinned and pushed some of the loose strands of hair from my already lopsided bun (which, thanks to Emmett, was pretty much falling apart) back behind my ear. "Bella – you have to learn sometime. This will be easy." Then he leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Don't think Bella, just move with it and follow my lead. I promise not to let you fall."

"You promise?" I asked softly.

"I promise."

Then he placed my hands around him, settled his hands around me, and before I knew it, we were gliding across the floor too. I couldn't believe it, I was dancing! I wanted to look at my feet, to see if it was really me, but Edward prevented me from looking down by catching my chin and holding it up so that I was gazing into his eyes.

"Don't look down Bella, just go with it," he said, grinning.

I nodded and we spun around the room, occasionally passing Emmett and Alice in the process. Our speed increased, but I didn't care. I was carried away by it all – until I didn't realize my legs were moving at all. It was as if I was flying away – somewhere else far away – and Edward was my guide there.

We twirled and sometimes he outstretched his arm so that I could spin back into him. The first time, I crashed into his chest, and he laughed, but I got better. The dance was entrancing, and sometimes he would dip me down and lift me up to continue the song. The four of us were engulfed in the music – in something I had never experienced before.

I was smiling as I looked into Edward's eyes. They were sparkling, shining with a passion, a desire that was becoming peculiarly familiar to me now. My heart fluttered as he drew me closer to his chest, where I was able to inhale his hypnotic scent.

"So, how is the dancing coming along?" he smirked.

"Um – better then I expected, I'll say," I replied, a tad lightheaded.

"Hum…" His hand flew up to my hair as he delicately removed the hair band that was holding my bun together. My brown hair fell down my back.

"Hope you don't mind – it was falling apart anyway," he said smoothly.

Then he was leaning in, his nose drawing patterns around my jaw line. I froze, but he laughed. "It's okay Bella. Did I tell you that you unbelievably beautiful tonight?"

I nodded slightly as his frozen lips caressed my jaw, my chin, my cheek, my lips…

Then Alice and Emmett became stiff as boards next to us in the living room. I could hear a rustle behind me – like the silent opening and closing of a door. Edward stopped what he was doing and whipped around, only to be looking straight into the troubled eyes of Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Rosalie.

Nothing happened for a long time. We were all standing still, like making one move could break the fragile equilibrium of the room. Edward's eyes scanned the four people standing in front of him, his features curiously dead.

Finally, for what seemed like ages, Carlisle step forward and spoke with an astonishingly calm voice. "We lost her, I'm sorry."

My mouth dropped open, my lips forming the first word of the question I wanted to ask them, when I felt my legs give way beneath me and I began to float through the air like a lightning bolt. Objects were blurring around me – mostly brown and white. The air whipped my hair and watered my eyes. And as soon as this started, it ended.

I blinked a couple of times, only to find myself sitting on Edward's couch in his room, looking at the massive amount of CD's that occupied a whole wall of his room. Edward was pacing in front of me, lost completely in thought. I tried to say something to him, but it was as though I couldn't get the sound to come out of my mouth. Looking down, I noticed I was shaking on the couch.

_I'm so stupid – I'm so human… _I thought bitterly to myself.

Finally, I was able to inhale properly and speak in a tentative tone, "Ed-Edward, I'm so sorry…" I put my head in my hands, so that I was looking at the carpet of his room. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I knew he was staring at me. "I'm such as stupid burden!" I cursed.

It was silent for a long time afterward – silent as the grave. My lips were trembling and I had the feeling that I might break out into tears if the silence was going to proceed for any longer. Plus, I was beginning to doubt if he was still in the room. For several painful seconds, I had the feeling he was going to leave me all over again – that I would look up and he would be gone – his family – everybody. Or that my alarm clock would ring and I would wake up from this long, complicated, fantasy dream and in my bed at Charlie's – ready for my very first day at Forks High…

The silence hurt. I lifted my head out of my hands, only to be looking at Edward sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of me. He was looking at me with a penetrating stare – like he was looking straight into my soul, my heart – passing through all my pathetic defenses.

"It's not your fault Bella," he said. Then, to my surprise, he smiled weakly. "No – wait. Both of us are to blame. Honestly – none of this would be happening if we didn't fall in love with each other."

My eyes widened. "Please – don't tell me you're leaving!" I stiffened on the couch.

He pursed his lips and looked at me sternly. Before I knew it, his face was only a few inches away from mine, "Bella – I've told you before. I've made a promise." He clasped both my hands in his and raised them to his lips. He kissed them softly. "I'm not leaving you. I can't anyway – Victoria would be the number one reason – but," he breathed. "I think the pain that it would cause me would be even worse then leaving you unprotected."

"What happened tonight Edward? Really – I have to know," I begged him.

He sighed and turned his head to look at the window that made up the entire southern portion of his house.

"From the brief glimpses I got into everyone's mind -," Edward said in a controlled, even tone, "- they ran after her for the three hours that they were gone. Rosalie, of course, was at your house checking up on Charlie (might I add, she heard the whole conversation we had with your father on the phone). He's fine – the four of them are sure he will be okay for the rest of the night. Anyway, plain and simple -," Edward said, eyes downcast. His voice almost sounded hoarse. "The female was too fast, she evaded them. They lost her trail in the woods. Carlisle has never seen someone so fast. Most likely she returned to Victoria. Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme are sure that Victoria's hideout is somewhere up in Canada and that they've been crossing the border every so often to check on us…"

I shook my head slowly back and forth and then placed my head once again in my hands, pulling my hair back when it fell across my shoulders. "What do we do?" I said, more to myself than for Edward's benefit. There must be something – anything to get away from this nightmare…

"We do nothing," Edward said suddenly, from beside me. I jumped slightly, realizing that he was sitting next to me on the couch now. "We wait it out."

"Wait it out?" I repeated, confused.

He nodded. "There's nothing else we can do. We have no idea how many others Victoria has assembled – and we can't simply make an offensive move without leaving you protected. It is better to stay defensive."

I responded with a grim nod. Something in the back of my brain was screaming that this was the wrong plan. I knew that it was up to me to think of something brilliant – something to get Victoria away from here – but at the moment, I couldn't think of anything. My mind was blank – everything around me was blank.

"Right now I want to be with you – I couldn't bear losing you Bella, not again…"

Then he was drawing me into his arms and holding me close to his chest. He slipped his hand through my hair and I could feel his lips press against my head. I placed my hand on his cheek, moved my head up to his jaw and kissed it delicately. Then he froze, put his hands on my shoulders, and positioned himself so that he was in front of me on the floor.

"Bella, do you remember the other day, when you were sick and I was tickling your stomach?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "How could I forget that?! You wouldn't stop unless I promised that I would do anything for – you…" my voice trailed at the last part when his eyes gleamed mischievously all of a sudden. I gulped slowly.

"Ah – good. You remember. Keep that in mind – stay here for a second, alright? Promise you won't move now," his eyes examined me for a response.

Oh I knew I was going to regret that promise sooner or later.

I nodded feebly – sealing my fate not to move from the couch.

He let go of my shoulders and turned around sharply so that he was sauntering smoothly over to his closet. I watched, my heartbeat getting erratic as he rummaged around in his closet for only a few moments but what felt like, to me, an eternity. Something in the back of my brain knew _exactly _what was going to happen, but I pushed it back. I refused to accept it.

Only when Edward walked at a steady pace out of the closet (slowly – almost human like) with a small, velvet black box in his hand, was the thought in the back of my brain considered. I could feel the color drain out of my cheeks, my heart rate increase, and my whole body start to tremble when Edward kneeled down in front of me with the black box outstretched in his hand.

_No, no – oh God – no!_

"Bella – will you marry me?" he asked slowly, staring up at me. He opened the lid on the black box in his outstretched hand to reveal a tiny, white-gold ring with a small, simple diamond in the middle. Thank goodness – I'm sure he would have known that I would have kicked the box out of his hand if it was something more elaborate.

I bit my lip, tears swelling to my eyes. I grabbed onto the couch with my hands, squeezing onto the leather material. Edward didn't falter – it almost looked as if he was expecting this. He continued to stare at me with his gentle, inhuman eyes.

I saw myself in the mirror – with blood red eyes…

The faces of Charlie, Renee, and Jacob – disappointed, heartbroken…

I saw the fights between Charlie and Renee – my mother leaving with me in her arms to Phoenix.

Eighteen – only eighteen years old…

There was Edward, staring at me in a crowd of faces, unlike himself, ready to pounce…

_Come and feel infinity… eternity…_

"Please," Edward said after a time. I realized that I was looking at the floor now, avoiding his gaze. My head moved up slowly to look back at him. His eyes were saddened, his pale lips in a flat line, and his outstretched arm was not as straight as it used to be. His sincere, pleading, loving eyes looked so hurt…

I saw him alone, walking the Earth for years without anyone…

The two of us doing the things we loved together…

The perfect summer had shared about a year ago…

His family, who loved me…

Him alone in South America – curled into a ball…

The angel who had saved me from the hunter…

The tears fell slowly down my cheeks. If there was anything I was completely sure of – despite how star-struck we were – I knew I loved him with more than my heart, but with my whole being. The hole that was in my chest could not have been mended with a replacement – it was _him _I needed. He made me whole – and as long as he was here, I would be whole. And just as this feeling overpowered me, I realized I couldn't live without him – not again. I wanted to be with him forever.

The two of us stared into our eyes for what seemed like hours – each of us trying to read the others emotions. And in that time period, I could feel it in my heart how much he loved me too – how, no matter what happened, together we would get through it all.

Love was the strangest emotion of all, I concluded.

I closed my eyes, and nodded ever so slightly.

"Yes," I said softly.

It was silent again, and I didn't like it. I looked up back into Edward's eyes. He was kneeling there, awe struck, clearly doubtful whether or not what I said was true.

"Yes?" he choked, wanting to confirm my answer.

I nodded again, and gazed fiercely back into his eyes. "Yes."

Suddenly, there was a gust of air in front of me, and I saw something blur around the room. The blur headed straight for me and before I could shout Edward slammed into the couch holding me against his chest, and kissing me intensely on the lips. I blinked twice, stunned, and then Edward parted from my lips.

"Yes?" he confirmed again, breathless.

"Yes, Edward, yes!" I said wide eyed.

He planted another kiss on my lips. I was gasping for air when he was done. He lifted up my left hand, took the little black box that he was still holding, plucked out the ring, and slipped it onto my ring finger.

I stared at in incredulously. "You know – you didn't have to give me a ring Edward." It felt like it was burning my finger – I wanted to take it off. How expensive was it?

Edward propped up my chin so that I was yet again staring into his eyes. He was smiling at me and shaking his head.

"Shut up Bella," he leaned in and kissed me. He ended the kiss and placed one of his ice cold hands on my cheek. "Please let me indulge you. You've just made me the happiest man on the face of the Earth."

I stared at my hand for a moment and remembered Alice in her room that night, coming out of the closet, smiling hugely, and then running over to Edward to tell him something.

"I have a feeling this sudden bout of courage to ask me tonight had something to do with Alice," I said frowning.

"How did you guess?" Edward said laughing.

He leaned in again and I made up the distance between us by kissing him squarely on the lips. It was deep and passionate – I could feel his hands not only on my cheeks but running up and down my body, along my jaw, my neck, my stomach, my legs… And I responded by tracing down his neck, his arms, his torso, his back… It was as if nothing else in the world mattered – nothing at all. It was just the two of us in our own place – our own time – wrapped in each others arms. I was safe and complete.

The kiss ended, but I did not want it to. I staggered for air, and blinked a few times, while Edward watched me speculatively. I closed my eyes and smiled.

"You should go to bed," Edward whispered into my ear. "It's extremely late."

"Okay," I said quietly. I snuggled myself deeper into Edward's arms on the couch, and closed my eyes, content. I didn't even care that I was still in Alice's awful contraption.

Or that Edward was wearing black silk pajamas either.

I felt something cool tickle my ear. Edward was kissing my ear and then he said softly to me, "I love you, Isabella Marie Cullen."

My cheeks grew hot and my heart fluttered somewhat, but I only smiled.

"I love you too, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."

The darkness behind my eyelids became a welcoming cool, comforting place. Before I knew it, it took a hold of my body, and I was asleep in the arms of the one I loved.

-----

_**AN: **__W-o-w guys. Oh my goodness. .. I don't think I've EVER written something so long in my life. I'm sooo sorry for keeping all you fans waiting – I know many of you were extremely impatient. :) Hopefully, this will keep you tied over for awhile because, in all honesty, the next chapter is still in the planning stages (meaning – I have a rough outline of what's going to happen, but I need more specifics…). I have no idea when it will be updated (probably not until after Eclipse comes out, at the rate I'm going – and I'm sure not many of you will be interested in this anymore – my lame attempt at fan-fiction). Summer has been hectic and that's why this took me so long to complete. Plus, it's going to be more hectic – I have some summer classes I need to take and a few friends visiting me. nn I hope you enjoy! I love your reviews! ;D_


	10. Without You

_**Author's Note: **__Hey guys. Yes, I'm sorry I haven't updated in quite awhile. I've been having a long debate with myself on whether or not I was going to continue the story after _Eclipse _came out. Yes, I have read the book (and it has become my favorite of the series so far – oh my goodness. Ms. Meyer has definitely outdone herself!) but it pretty much negates everything I have written so far and I wasn't sure how many people would be interested in this fan-fiction afterwards. It was initially written just to pass the time before _Eclipse _came out. Yet, I realized that I started this story for myself and not for others – it's for fun, not profit! So, I've decided I shall go through with my intended storyline with no changes. I hope everyone will appreciate it still and enjoy it. Thank you guys so much for your uplifting comments and all the favorites. It's really been quite a treat. (__**Yes – this is an updated chapter – more comments at the end of the chapter – enjoy!)**_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own _Twilight, New Moon_, and now _Eclipse _to any degree whatsoever. The rights are the property of Stephenie Meyer only. (I haven't done this in awhile and I felt like I needed too). _

**Without You**

I felt like I was standing in one of those old, black and white movies from the 1930s or 1940s. Before me was a long aisle lined on either side with long benches facing a podium at the front of an enormous room. Several people sat on these benches, most of them I've never seen before in my life. Their faces were rigid, emotionless, placid. They stared, without really seeing, at the front of the room where the podium stood.

The room itself resembled a huge cathedral. Perhaps it was, I wasn't quite sure – the picture flickered and had small lines where it looked like film was weakening to distort the whole image somehow. Behind the podium in the front was a tall, glorious window. It looked like it was made out of stained glass. I glanced down at my feet – I was wearing what appeared to be white high heels, and even though I was walking towards the podium, like a moth drawn to the flame, my feet were not making a single sound on the elegantly tiled floor.

The room was eerie; I did not understand why I was here. But, for some reason, I knew I had to walk up towards the podium – there was something that needed to be done there. Everything seemed to be mysteriously silent except strange, organ music in the background. The tune was faintly familiar, but it was almost as if instinct was telling me not to listen to it too closely. I shut it out, focusing only on the empty podium.

Why was everything so dark? Was it raining outside? Or was it because everything was black and white?

As I approached the podium at the end of the room, I noticed somebody in a black suit standing over to the side, with his back to me. Immediately, I felt elated, like a weight was lifted from my chest. This must not be so bad if _he _was here.

It was strange though, even though he was here, my heart didn't accelerate because of his presence like it usually did. For a moment, I wondered why that was, but I pushed it aside. I tried to focus on him instead of the podium that somehow hinted at impending doom.

As I approached him, I noticed the room was more opulent that I originally gave it credit for. In every crevice and every corner, carvings of angels and strange demons lavished the walls. There were windows on either side of the room, but outside them everything was dark. No light seemed to escape into the room except that above the podium.

The faces remained apathetic and shadowed, staring forward as I walked pass the rows. Even though they looked forward, it felt like the ones behind me were staring at my back, piercing me with there gaze. I tensed – it was a different kind of tenseness than I've ever had before – more like I was preparing for a battle than anything else. How strange.

I extended my arm out to grab his hand. He took it, without looking at me, and squeezed it tenderly – reassuring me. My lips were trembling, as I looked back to the podium expecting, I did not know.

I tried not to gasp. Behind the podium stood a tall figure whose face was shrouded by a long, white robe. He had a book open in his hands and it looked like he was reading out of it, but I could not hear a word he said. Hesitantly, I turned to the people behind me. They were all still stone faced – except two people in the front row that I was surprised to see. My eyes widened – but my heart did not leap like it usually did.

My parents, Charlie and Renee, sat smiling at me in the front row over to the left. Charlie's crinkly grin made me smile back unsure. Renee looked enthusiastic, so happy that it almost looked as if she was crying.

But then everything became a horror-film.

As I stared at Charlie and Renee, gleeful and smiling, they deteriorated like time was fast-forwarding around us. Their skin sagged and the wrinkles became more pronounced on each of them. They began to hunch forward, withered with age – their hair turning gray, and then bleach white. My mouth dropped at the sight, eyes widening even farther in panic.

And then, before I could do anything, Charlie and Renee slumped forward in each other's laps, still grinning, their eyes closed. I knew they were both dead.

I couldn't do anything. I was frozen to the spot, unable to move, unable to make sense of what was happening. My lips were trembling, and I was letting out cracked, barely recognizable gasps out through my mouth. I knew I was sobbing, but I couldn't hear myself cry – I couldn't even feel any tears on my cheeks.

There was a light sound down at the end of the room where I must have entered. I noticed two huge double doors at the end; the right pulled open slightly where a dark figure entered. He shut the doors and began to walk up the aisle, as I had, and I realized who it was.

Tall and powerful looking, Jacob strolled passed the people in the rows toward where I stood motionless. His skin was darker than the others – but instead of the dark calming brown color I've gotten so used to, it was a dark gray – like everything else in the room.

As he got closer, he didn't seem to want to look directly at me. His hair was long again, and tied back in the ponytail that gave me a ping of nostalgia in the pit of my stomach. Although Jacob constantly appeared to get older every time I laid eyes on him, it was usually not as dramatic as now. He wasn't taller, but aged, like he had seen too much. His eyes looked dull and unfocused and his lips were tight. His features were hard, not like the sun that used to brighten my days that now seemed eons and eons ago. And then I grasped at what he looked like now. Jacob had every characteristic belonging to Sam – the pack leader – showing no emotion, rigid, and old. Why did Jacob look like he was thirty? Why was he here?

Despite the tragedy of moments before, I had the strongest urge to comfort Jacob – I wanted to hold him and talk like we used to. I wanted him to be the sun that wiped away all the clouds of my past life. I didn't want him to be sad – and, with a twinge of hysteria on my part, I did not want him to die like my parents had.

But despite the urge to walk forward and embrace him, it was like I had been plastered to the ground – my legs could not move. I tried to plead to Jake with my eyes, but when he finally chanced to look at me, he stared at me with nothing but hatred in his eyes – and, deep down within them – a pain that I had never been able to fathom before. So deep, I cringed like I had been physically slapped and tortured.

I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

I wanted to cry, but no tears fell.

I wanted to run, but I was rooted to the ground.

Jacob turned away from me, perhaps disgusted, perhaps trying to hide some other emotion from me. He moved into an aisle – sitting down to dissolve into the crowd of marble faces.

My head twisted back to the person behind the podium, still reading, but I did not know what. I could hear the organ music in the background get louder, but I tried harder to push it away when I noticed a stone basin to the right of the podium. I dropped his hand, like carved ice, and moved like a ghost over to the basin. As soon as I reached it, something clicked in my head – and even though I tried to repress it, it came back to me like an angry fly, demanding attention.

The basin was full of water – used for baptism.

We were in a church.

I stared at the reflection in the water – everything black and white – except the eyes – an alarming color of red. My eyes showed ruby in the water, and my mouth dropped in fright. I could feel my arms shaking, and I noticed how unbelievably pale I looked – almost glowing from it. I was wearing a dress – white and elegant – like something from another century. I clutched at the basin for support and the white gold ring on my left finger glittered in the basin. But I barely noticed it – my eyes showed so vividly back at me.

Without a sound, another reflection appeared in the water. A set of bright, gold eyes joined my blood colored ones in the water. He was smiling at me, I could feel it, but for some reason I could not ignore the image of myself in the water.

I finally understood why my heart remained still.

Time had no effect on me – forever I would be the stone relic of my eighteen year-old self.

The organ music screamed the wedding march in the background.

The urge to yell became uncontrollable. I opened my mouth to shout, but something else escaped my lips entirely.

"I don't know what to do," I murmured quietly.

"You may now kiss the bride," a low voice behind me said.

And he, with his amber eyes, leaned into me, smiling gently to kiss my throat. His lips made the smallest of pressure against my skin.

Something sharp stung me then. There was a slight burning sensation – an old memory tugging at the edges of my mind – and I wanted to scream in fright from whatever it was but I was being clutched in his arms, motionless as marble. His lips parted from me to reveal a crescent shape indentation on my neck – and a droplet of blood that trickled like something forgotten down my throat –

Exactly the same color as my eyes.

I gasped – I wanted to disappear behind a comforting cloud of darkness behind my eyes – but they were open –

And will always be open.

I lifted my right hand and stared at the crescent shaped scar…

"I don't know what to do," he echoed in the distance.

-

There were voices in the distance – soft, quiet, and familiar. The frightening image behind my eyes dissipated – broken up into strange blocks of color and swirls – only to be replaced by the blackness behind my eyelids. My heart was racing still and I tried to calm it as I briefly sprung my eyes open and closed them again.

One glance was all I needed to discover who the voices were coming from. Sitting cross-legged in front of me on the floor was Edward and Alice – talking in low, subdued voices. I knew I had about two seconds until they realized I was awake – but, as long as they didn't notice I was up – I stayed silent and unmoving, biding my time. I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on conversations, but at the moment I did not want to return to the horror of my dreams – too real in more ways then one…

Did I really ever think about what a wedding implied? Did it ever cross my mind how I would be when I was – like the Cullen's? Could I live without my family? My friends?

Jake?

I gritted my teeth and ignored the thoughts I knew I was going to have to force myself to confront sooner or later… and focused my attention on the two Cullen's who still had not realized I was very much awake on the couch. I wanted to know why Edward was not laying with me anymore.

"I don't know how to keep her safe anymore," I heard Edward say. I realized that it was his voice that snapped me out of my dream at the end. "I don't know what is out there – waiting for us – and I'm scared… No, more than that. I'm _terrified_."

I tried very hard not gulp or gasp in shock. I was not used to Edward being so utterly open about his inner feelings – in fact, what blew me away, was that I've never really understood what went on in _his _mind. It was the first time I've heard him so defenseless – since he confessed what he was in the meadow more than a year ago.

There was a knot in my stomach now.

Why could he talk to Alice like this – but not _me_?

I listened now with a new kind of fervor.

"Edward – all of us are. You have to understand this," Alice responded softly.

There was a moments pause where I sensed either they realized I was awake or they were both reflecting on their thoughts. I tried with all my might not to tense my body because I felt like two pairs of eyes were now staring at it on the couch.

"It's sad really," Edward said slowly with a tinge of his own sadness in his voice. "She thinks I'm perfect… And, although I can't read her mind, I know she comes to this conclusion a lot. But, what she doesn't understand is… that I make _more _mistakes than she'll ever know of."

"Edward," Alice cooed. "You know what you are? Extremely insecure about yourself – and a tad arrogant – _and_ a bit of a show off at times. Because of the fact that you read minds -," and Alice cut short there – silence. For some reason, I could sense that the rest of her sentence was being communicated to Edward through _other _means.

"I don't judge people," Edward sighed. "At least – I _try _not to. I just get to know them in – indirect ways."

"But don't you see Edward? That's _it_!" Alice said with a harsher tone to her voice, even though they were talking so unbelievably low that I had to strain my ears to hear them properly. "You love Bella because you know her through the way she acts and the way she responds to you and your feelings for her Edward – you love how you can be _human _with her," Alice deduced on a triumphant note. "Because you are closed to her mind, you can't be prejudice against her – you don't know her through her thoughts, like everyone else – but through her _actions_. The fact that you can't read her mind puts you in the same situation as everyone else in a relationship – the two of you have confidence in the other's love for one another – faith, if you will. This uncertainty each of you have for the other brings you two closer."

There was a long silence afterwards – both seemed to be processing the words that Alice said.

"Come to think of it," Alice began uncertainly. "It's almost as if she was… _made_… just for you, Edward. If she didn't have a closed mind – would you still have -?" she seemed reluctant to go on.

Another long pause – I knew that Edward could understand the rest of the question in Alice's head. There was a weird rushing noise coming from somewhere close by. It was raspy and annoying – it made it hard to focus on Edward and Alice's conversation. I wished it would shut up. With a sudden jolt, I realized that it was my own breathing.

_Take a deep breath and calm down_, I told myself. _Try not to blow your cover!_

The pause continued. I tried not to count my still frantic heartbeats.

"Yes…" Edward said awkwardly. "The fact that her mind is closed to me is a mystery, indeed – but have you ever thought that it might be closed to me for a different reason? Her thoughts are different than other people – I can feel it. If her mind was _not _closed to me – she would still be Bella – and her thoughts would still have been different from the rest of the norm. I'm sure they would have intrigued me from the very first day at school – eventually, my curiosity would have gotten the best of me – and I think I would have done exactly the same thing… I don't think there is a day that goes by where I'm not interested in the thoughts of Bella Swan," he finished, full of conviction.

"But you just proved my point, Edward," Alice said. I can hear the frown in her voice. "Still – if Bella's mind was not closed to you – and her thoughts were _not _different from everyone else – would you still have fallen in love with her?"

"Alice – if her thoughts were not different from everyone else, she _wouldn't _be Bella. And, it's not just her thoughts – it's her actions too. She is constantly throwing me off guard – and… I'm humbled by that," Edward responded defensively.

"Mmm," was Alice's simple reply. She obviously didn't want to continue this conversation further.

But Icouldn't believe what I was hearing.

What I was hearing didn't seem to correspond correctly with the way I've always perceived Edward to be. Alice considered Edward "insecure" – since when had he acted insecure about himself? He always seemed so certain about everything – was it a mask? How many mistakes does Edward truly make, that I never catch?

My heart throbbed painfully – I realized that the profound love I had for Edward was shrouding the character traits that he loathed about himself. Perhaps the bias I held for Edward was the same kind of bias he held for me.

And the way Alice talked about the kind of relationship Edward and I had – was it truly based off of the fact that my mind was a mystery to Edward and nothing else? Edward was overconfident that he would still have fallen in love with me if my mind was an open book… but I knew that that wasn't true. If he knew my thoughts – wouldn't I just be classified into the whole lot of humans whose lives and thoughts were pointless and meaningless on the grander scale of things?

The knot twisted nauseatingly in my stomach. I knew I had just come to the sickening conclusion, yet again, that Edward was too far out of my league. I'm an idiot and a monster for not only falling in love with someone so beyond me, but for turning away from my family – my friends – just to be with him. I deserved to die in that ballet room in Phoenix so long ago – that way, nothing would have gotten so out of hand – so out of hand, that, I knew I couldn't change my mind. My course was set.

Perhaps that little incident a year ago was a sign.

Alice did see my die in that room… Only the decisions of the people around me that day changed the course of time. If the decisions had not changed, was it fate that I was supposed to die in order to stop this madness from escalating?

I saw Jacob's face. For one wild moment, I pictured him smiling. Would he have liked it better if I died then? So I wouldn't have caused him so much pain and suffering in the future? Liked it because – he knew I would have been spared the kind of future that lied before me now?

His face dissolved before me – with the same tortured expression of my dream.

Why was my heart pounding so fast? I could feel the pressure up to my jaw line – like it was going to collapse. The silence in the room was deafening – my heart seemed way too loud.

"Bella?" Edward said softly. I bit my tongue in response – I was so busted – I don't know why I still wanted to hide the fact that I was awake. Why wouldn't my stupid heart shut up?

"I think she's awake," Alice said dully, although the word "think" in the sentence meant little. If Alice _thought _I was awake, then she _knew _I was awake.

I remained still; keeping my eyes closed in what I hoped was a relaxed position, and trying futilely to look like I was still far off in Neverland.

A cold touch on my face almost completely broke my concentration however.

"Bella – are you awake?" Edward breathed in my ear. Suddenly, I felt his entire body squeezed next to mine on the couch, cuddling me like before I fell asleep. I felt his arms wrap around my stomach to pull me closer.

Oh damn. My cover was going to broken in about two seconds unless I came up with something fast. My mind working in overtime, I thought of what Edward and Alice must have heard me mutter in my sleep tonight. Then, with a strange sort of high, I wondered what Edward and Alice would hear _now_, if I was _still _asleep.

If my idea did not work, I would be up for teasing and being laughed at now. If it did work, I was going to be laughed and teased at in the morning anyway. Either way, I had to do something. For a brief moment, I wished I wasn't so unbelievably curious about what Edward and Alice were discussing. I mentally kicked myself and then focused on the first word that came to my mind.

"Cheesecake…" I drawled out in what I hoped I sounded like when I was asleep.

I felt a pressure; a humming that evolved into suppressed chuckles coming somewhere close to my neck. Edward was laughing.

I knew it was coming.

_Don't blush – don't blush! _I yelled at myself.

I knew they would start laughing – but only Edward seemed to be enjoying it. To me the silence from Alice was a little unnerving.

"I don't get it," Alice said slowly, confused. "Is this something the two of you do when she wakes up? And what does 'cheesecake' have to do with it?"

I felt Edward shake his head beside me, still chortling, but more quietly now. "No – Alice, she's not awake."

I could almost hear the puzzlement in Alice's voice. "Yes she is."

_Oh! Don't blow it Alice! _I shouted in my head, but I knew Alice couldn't hear.

"No – it was a dream she had awhile ago, about making Charlie a cheesecake – which, eventually turned into making him a fishcake. She must be revisiting it again," Edward explained with more muffled laughter.

Alice was silent for a second while Edward tried to compose himself next to me.

"Oh – you had to be there Alice," Edward said, exasperated.

"I'm sure it must have been some dream…" Alice replied finally. She switched the subject abruptly, "So, are you happy about getting married?"

My heart did an aerial flip inside my chest – after what seemed like good fortune on my part for not getting caught, this wasn't exactly the conversation I was looking forward too.

"Alice – you already know the answer to that question – why ask?" Edward said playfully.

"Just want to hear _your _thoughts for a change," Alice confessed, laughing sweetly.

"Yes, I'm exceptionally happy." And there was no doubt in his voice – Edward's arms held me tighter to his chest as he said so. "Even more so because she actually _accepted_."

"You're welcome," Alice trilled merrily.

"Yes, thank you Alice – without you, I don't think I'd ever have worked up the courage – I was too afraid I wouldn't like her answer," Edward mused aloud.

"And of course – you'll let me do the wedding," Alice said unabashed.

"Alice – I know for certain Bella does not want a fanfare. It's completely up to her to decide on what she wants to do."

"Oh – that's _easy_. Bella would love me to do her wedding! I'm sure of it!"

"Don't force her to do anything she doesn't want to," Edward warned.

"Oh, yes of course. But I'm sure Bella would love what I have in mind…"

I tried not to gulp. Whatever Alice was planning, I'm sure it was going to make this whole wedding business ten times more horrible.

"And there's that other part of the deal – what you promised her in return for marriage," Alice contemplated aloud. "Are you really going to do it Edward?" Alice asked, serious now.

"As much as I don't want to… yes, I will. That's part of the deal, after all…" Edward sighed sorrowfully at the end. "I've been trying not to think about that little detail however – at least, not tonight."

"I know, Edward. But, you have to see there is no other way. What are you concerned about?"

Silence. Eventually it was broken when Edward answered in his quick, train-of-thought way of his.

"Not only am I concerned about the people that Bella is connected to – her family and her friends…" he shuddered slightly at the last part, "But, most of all, Alice, I'm concerned that I'm being too selfish for allowing this to happen to her. For me, I know this is what I want, more than the whole world over – more than the entire universe. Without her with me, I don't know what I'd do. But for her -," there was a pause, where he said miserably, "- I want so much more. She could do so much better than me."

Another long silence between the two of them. I resisted the urge to scream out loud. The conversation was beginning to be too much for me. I didn't know if I could stand anymore of it. Maybe I should stop _acting _like I'm asleep and actually go back to sleep.

"I know Alice," Edward's voice eventually broke the stillness. "I know that all too well – the vision you had so long ago. You think it is _fate _– because that is how you perceive the world around you – how decisions affect the outcome – and how you found Jasper. But Alice," his tone became silky as he said, "Perhaps it is just love."

It was quiet for a long time – not the awkward, tense quiet of previous times before – it was a calming quiet – a peaceful one. It seemed that they were both digesting Edward's words. The atmosphere was relaxed – and, without knowing it, I felt my heart beat return to a steady rhythm and my body unwind slowly.

It was Alice that broke the silence this time.

"I'm thinking that a peach theme would be good – and having it outside somewhere…"

"Oh Alice – don't start that again!" Edward hissed. I could tell he was rolling his eyes.

"Don't you see the possibilities? Or, do you want to go more traditional? Black and white, I suppose?"

Edward sighed. "Talk to Bella about it."

"Well, what's _your _opinion?" Alice edged.

I didn't want to listen to them argue anymore. In the morning, however, I desperately needed to talk to Edward alone. There were things I _needed_ to discuss with him.

Like his part of the deal for one.

And marriage… ew.

And finally – why couldn't he be as open with me as he is with Alice?

Their voices were too soft and musical to sound harsh and annoyed anymore, so I pretended that they were some sort of background music – turned on to help me fall asleep.

"Honestly, I'll do anything Bella is willing too. If that means driving to Vegas…"

"Oh no you don't! You'll _never _forgive yourself if you do that!"

"Watch me."

The bickering continued, but it was so distant, so beautiful that I felt myself slipping away into an actual slumber. Before I fell completely under, I hoped fruitlessly that I slept dream free.

-

Just as I expected, I woke up feeling groggy and unkempt. I could feel the wild tangles in my hair before I even opened my eyes. As soon as I had fallen back to sleep that night, I was continually visited by dreams – some just as vibrant as my nightmare before – others flashes of images that didn't seem to make much sense to me. I did not know if these flashes were either happy or sad – nightmares or not. But I knew I was going to be terrified to go back to sleep tonight – afraid to find out for sure.

I blinked my eyes opened, only to shut them quickly again. The light radiating from the southern window of Edward's bedroom was not only startling, but blinding. I couldn't believe it was a sunny day, despite all the drama of the previous night. I rolled over, searching for the cool hands that had to be somewhere. When I couldn't find them, I rolled back over on my side again only to – PLOP!

"Ow!" I shouted a bit too loudly.

I was lying on Edward's golden carpet; I had fallen off the couch. Sitting up, I rubbed the back of my head, which received most of the impact. Despite the brightness of the room, I forced my eyes open so that they would adjust to it. Looking around, I noticed everything in the room was just as I had remembered it from last night. Except that neither Alice nor Edward was in the room with me – I frowned, a little heartbroken that both seemed to have left me.

_They must be downstairs_, I thought.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, the door to Edward's room slammed open. With a jolt of adrenaline, I jumped to my feet in surprise.

"Well – it's about time sleepyhead!"

I exhaled and slumped back onto the couch behind me as Alice crossed the room to sit next to me. For some reason, she seemed positively euphoric about something. She was dressed in clothes that reflected her perky-ness.

"Alice, you nearly gave me a heart attack," I said, dazed.

"You've got to have a little more confidence in me than _that_, Bella," Alice intoned, rolling her eyes. "Trust me; I would have seen if you had a heart attack."

"It's a figure of speech," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

Alice snorted.

"Where's Edward?" I asked eventually. I needed to talk to him – _now._

Alice ignored that. "Sleep well last night?" she asked, a hint of sarcasm to her voice.

My eyes bolted open, alarmed. She did seem skeptical last night, after Edward reassured her that I was asleep… Better play the dumb, innocent type.

"Yeah – I guess – I just fell off the couch this morning. I probably look a tad deranged," I added the last line playfully. The nervous laugh afterwards blew my cover however.

"Liar," Alice grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" I blinked.

"You may have been able to fool _Edward_, but you certainly didn't fool me."

I gave her a confused look.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh stop it Bella. You don't have to pretend anymore."

"Oh darn it!" I muttered, aggravated. "But – how could you have know – and Edward not have?"

"Edward doesn't understand _half _of the visions I have – sure, he can see them all with me and hear the kind of things I have to say about them in my head – but it's still _my _head and _my _thoughts. He might not even understand where my thoughts originated from. Furthermore -," and Alice turned to me, grinning, "I've had plenty of time to learn how to repress the thoughts I do not want him to hear. As soon as we sensed you were awake, and after I had acknowledged the fact aloud and you did not respond, I decided to play along and shrug off the vision I had of you returning to consciousness."

She beamed at me, feeling proud of herself for reading my intentions correctly. "So – I let you eavesdrop. But really, Bella, I'm extremely curious as to why you did." She gazed at me with her amber eyes brimming with anticipation.

I swallowed, not sure how to respond.

"Oh come on Bella! I won't tell him, if that's what you're worried about."

"It's not like you have a choice in that matter. He's going to find out sooner or later," I snorted.

Alice sighed. "Yes – well, don't you want to tell Edward himself that you eavesdropped, instead of him learning about it indirectly from me?"

"Yes – I wanted to talk to him alone about it this morning actually," I confessed.

"About what part?"

"All of it… Like, for one, why can he talk with you so freely and not me?" I asked, a bit bitter at the end.

Alice's eyebrows creased as she thought about that. Then she said, "Although Edward and I aren't actually related, in a lot of ways, we act like siblings to each other. So, for example, what a person cannot say or express to his or her parents, girlfriend or boyfriend, or friends – they find it easier to talk about with their brother or sister. That's exactly what Edward did last night – talked with me in confidence about his inner feelings."

"Then, why did you allow me to listen with you?" I questioned.

"Because I thought you, like me, had a right to know for once what was going on in his mind," she replied mischievously. Then she sighed. "Also, Bella, although he would never tell you this…" she paused, and clamped her mouth shut, afraid she had said too much.

"What?" I pried, my heart pounding.

Her eyes flicked towards me, a hard edge to them. She sighed again, relenting. "He's terrified of losing you."

I rolled my eyes. "I already know _that_ – that's why he made me stay here last night instead of letting me go home to Charlie and –"

I stopped short. Alice was shaking her head vigorously.

"No – not like that Bella – although, he is equally afraid of that as well…" Alice allowed, nodding solemnly.

My eyebrows creased. "Then – what _do _you mean?"

"I mean, that Edward is afraid that _you _will leave _him_," Alice explained anxiously.

I stared at Alice for a long time – I didn't know my mouth was hanging open until Alice put her index finger under my jaw and closed it for me. As soon as she did so I seemed to regain some sense.

"But – why – would he even – _think _that? Of all the preposterous ideas-! I mean, he should know how much I need him after seeing how I was like when we came back from Italy!" I blurted out, suddenly furious.

Alice frowned. "But, you see Bella, that's why he is afraid. After seeing what he did to you, leaving you alone for so long, he feels absolutely guilty and ashamed about it. He feels like after that episode, he owes more to you then he would ever be able to repay back – and that you have more than one reason to leave him because of what he did…

"Furthermore, he feels that it makes more sense if you leaved him because you have so much more going for you if he wasn't apart of it… For example, the new… _friend_… you made while we were away," Alice grimaced.

"Jake?" I said, raising an eyebrow at Alice. Obviously, she was still annoyed at the little fact that she could not determine his future – or the rest of the packs for that matter. That or she was extremely prejudiced against the werewolves.

Based on the expression on her face, I'd say it was both.

She glared at me and opened her mouth to say something, before closing it again. She nodded tightly.

"Although I hate to admit it – he _is _a bit more human than us…"

It was silent for a second – to me, Jacob was just as different from a human as the Cullen's were. I saw the giant russet wolf staring at me in the field – the red creature that sprung to life in mid-air in order to ward off the gray wolf coming towards me – I acknowledged his brute strength, his silent walk, and his hard expression…

"Anyway," Alice said. "Yes, Edward is doubtful of his hold on you. You see, Bella, it's very hard for vampires to experience a change of heart. When he met you, it changed him permanently. There is no going back. But, he knows that, since you are human, you still have a chance to change your mind… And, because he can't read your mind like everyone else, his doubts are amplified considerably. Bella – he needs you more than you know," Alice concluded.

"I'm his," I said sheepishly, looking at the floor now.

"I know," Alice smiled. "I've known for a _long time_ – probably even longer than you knew yourself." She laughed and continued. "I also think Edward's afraid of scaring you with his thoughts – that they would push you farther away from him."

"Huh? Why would his thoughts scare me?" I asked, puzzled.

"Because he hears the thoughts of others, he's able to focus on more than one thing at a time, and I believe it makes his own thoughts a bit more complex than others – more like a _vampire _than anything else. He doesn't want to frighten you with what he truly is."

"I'm not afraid," I said defiantly to Alice.

"_I know_, Bella. Trust me, _I know_," Alice said, chuckling slightly. "But, you're going to have to tell that to Edward – he never believes it from me, no matter how many times I've told him the truth. He's convinced that, at least, any _normal _human being -," she rolled her eyes at me and continued, "- has to find something about us absolutely horrifying."

"I don't. You guys are like family to me," I said, kicking the other more emotionally stringed thoughts in my head away before they could form sentences through my mouth.

"To me Bella, you are already my family," and then she pulled me into a stony embrace. I hugged back, relishing in the fragrance that floated off her shoulder. Then I felt her hand slide down my left arm and grab onto my wrist. Before I knew it, the embrace was over and she was examining my left hand – more importantly, observing with quiet interest the small white gold ring on my finger.

"Ha – I knew it," she said, a supercilious grin forming on her lips as she stared at my hand.

I groaned and pulled my hand away from her. I had forgotten the hideous thing was still on there. "That's _another _reason why I want to talk to Edward." And, with more deliberateness than was totally necessary, I pulled the ring from off my finger. Alice stared at me, wide-eyed. I could tell she suppressed a gasp.

"Bella – what are you doing?"

"Alice – I already accepted the proposal, calm down. Where's Edward?" I asked as I looked around the room for a place to put the ring – I didn't want to keep it on my finger or have it anywhere close to my house where Charlie could come across it. Or worse – Charlie _question _me about it. "I just want to keep it safe here. I don't want to lose it."

Alice groaned and held out her hand. "Just give it to me Bella – he's not going to be happy about this when he finds out." The edges of her mouth turned downwards when she thought of that. "Don't worry though – I'll keep it safe."

I plopped the ring into her open hand and she closed her fingers around it.

"You still haven't answered my previous question," I prodded.

"All the guys have gone hunting big game for the day – Edward wanted to stay with you, but it's such a nice day today. Nobody wanted to miss the opportunity." Alice's once placid expression suddenly became unbelievably animated. "It's just you and me Bella -," she made a gesture that suggested that the whole world was open to us.

"What about Esme and Rosalie?"

"Oh, yes, they're here too," Alice frowned and made a face. I was obviously missing something important.

"Darn – I wanted to talk to him…" I muttered instead.

"Oh come on Bella!" Alice nearly shouted at me, exasperated. "Who wants to talk to Mr. Crabby-pants anyway? Won't you _please _come shopping with me?" Then she was winking at me. "You know, you _could _get something for Edward while we're out."

My mouth dropped open again. She was absolutely right – I had never considered the fact that I truly needed to get Edward something in return for what he gave me – even though it wasn't what I _really _wanted. However, the money left in my college fund was starting to look more like a kid's savings account. But the tone of her voice made it sound like I had already accepted the invite to go shopping and it set me off in my stubborn mode.

"Alice – I don't think I accepted going shopping with you," I hissed. "Besides, what would Charlie think? I need to go home. He's probably worried sick about me."

"Oh silly! I already called Charlie this morning!" Alice flashed me an angelic smile.

"I don't – wait – you – what?!" I shouted.

"I called Charlie for you!" She said again, grinning wider.

"But – wait…," I shook my head, confused. "I thought he wanted me home as soon as possible this morning!"

"Well, I asked him very politely what time he wanted you home today and he said no later than four or five tonight."

"Alice," I tried to keep my voice controlled. "Please don't tell me you begged him or anything?"

"No – I just said that I desperately needed someone to shop for graduation clothes with me today, that's all…"

I frowned – I wasn't buying it.

"I also told him Edward and all the boys were going to be gone the whole day and that Esme was going to be with us too," she confessed. She gazed at my expression and said, "Which is true!"

"Yes – but now I know why Charlie allowed me to go," I sighed. "I'm surprised he's being as lenient as he is."

"I think it's because he knows that you're a pretty good kid, compared to the rest of the teenage population."

"I'm not so sure about that," I murmured quietly to myself.

"So – are you coming? Please?" Alice stuck her bottom lip out in a pout.

I stared at her, shell-shocked that she was able to carry out the whole "sleep-over" charade with Charlie this long already. Inside my head, I knew the real reason why I was still stuck at the Cullen's – my whole body was shaking with the effort of trying to repress it, but it was there in my head, begging to be set free.

_They're holding me captive – trying to keep me safe._

With that realization, I no longer wanted to be here at the Cullen's, being babysat like a troublesome kid. I wanted to be liberated – I wanted my rights that allowed me to go my own route. And that meant checking up on Charlie.

My mouth opened in preparation for protest, when Alice intervened.

"Of course, Charlie said that before you do anything, you have to call him first. He has something important to tell you." Her expression became blank after she told me this – for a brief moment, she looked almost irritated – but the look was removed from her face only to be replaced by a huge encouraging smile.

I blinked. My objection to her invite to the mall was merely based on the fact that I didn't know for sure Charlie was safe and because she seemed to be holding me hostage. Maybe I was overanalyzing the situation – maybe it was just Alice being Alice and wanting to go shopping just like any other day.

Instead of accepting or accusing Alice, I just narrowed my eyes at her. "Hand me the phone then," I said.

In faster than I thought possible, Alice shot like a bullet out of the room and back in again with a small, black, cordless phone. I took the phone out of her hand and dialed my home number. With a quick glance at Alice, I mouthed the words with mild interest, "What time is it?"

She responded in a soft voice, "Almost eleven."

My eyes widened – I had slept longer than I expected. Just then, there was a click on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" Charlie said.

"Hey dad, it's me."

"Bells! Hun – I'm so glad you called, I was beginning to worry. Are you already at the mall?"

"Uh – no, I just woke up," I mumbled.

"Oh – wow, you must have had some night last night. Alice sounded really excited about taking you out today on the phone this morning. She told me you were still asleep this morning when she called around eight to ask me permission herself."

"Yeah – she's very excited," I gave Alice a look and sighed softly. "We'll be leaving for the mall soon."

Alice looked like she was going to start bouncing in her seat from happiness. I ignored her. "I'm very surprised you're allowing me to go. Aren't you taking this 'one day to herself' thing a little far? Don't I still owe you?"

"Yeah – you still owe me," Charlie grunted. I could tell he was putting a lot of effort into trying to sound strict. "But enjoy the day while you can. You have exams to study for tomorrow and chores to do okay?"

I tried to suppress a groan but failed. Charlie chuckled on the other end.

"So, what is it you need to tell me? Alice said there was something important -?"

"Yes – Jacob called earlier."

My mouth dropped open at his name – and my heart clung to it like a lifeline. It felt like a millennium since I last talked to Jacob or seen him. It surprised me that, in truth, it had only been two days. Why did it seem so much longer than that?

"Ja-Jacob?" I stuttered, still stunned.

Alice scowled at the name.

"He called? Did something happen? Is he okay?" I spluttered out – trying to sound calm. Suddenly, the memory of the pale-girl on the road made me almost lose my grip on the phone.

_Jacob can't be hurt – he can't be! _

"Yeah Bella, he's fine," Charlie said, shocked at my tone. "Is there something I should know about?" he asked, suddenly curious.

"Uh – no, I was just – amazed he called. I've been trying to get a hold of him for so long and he hasn't been returning my calls. I just assumed something must have been seriously wrong for him to respond…" I lied quickly.

"No – actually, he seemed to be extremely worried about you Bella – for some reason. I tried to ask him what was bugging him – but he just said that it was important that he got a chance to talk to you soon. I told him not to worry. Bella – is something wrong?"

I had not noticed my breathing was rougher than normal. I tried to control myself and assume the reassuring mode that suddenly seemed to be running my life.

"Yeah – nothings wrong. I'm going to call Jacob and see what's up okay?"

"Okay Bella. Call me if you need anything – otherwise I'll see you later tonight."

"Okay – thanks. I love you so much Dad," I said strongly at the end, my thoughts suddenly zooming in on the disturbing nightmare I had last night.

Charlie seemed temporarily taken aback at my show of emotion, but said smoothly. "I love you too Bells. Bye hun."

"Bye," I said and hung up.

I could feel myself shaking as my thoughts whizzed past me at a mile a minute.

_Is Jake okay? _

_Did something happen in La Push that he suddenly decided to call me? _

_If Jake's okay, is one of the others hurt? _

_Did they figure out the identity of the mysterious vampires after me? _

Alice was watching me with a concerned expression on the couch.

"Bella – are you okay?" she asked.

"Me? Oh – yeah. I'm – I'm going to call Jake okay?" I watched Alice's face change immediately from concern to annoyance. I jumped up from the couch and stumbled to Edward's door, with the phone in one hand. When I reached the door, I put my other hand on the doorknob and turned to Alice. "And there's no way you're going to stop me calling him Alice, so quit it with the expression. I'm not going to run away either – I'm just going to the bathroom so I could have a little privacy – are you okay with that?" I added, trying to sound tough.

Alice's eyes narrowed, but she nodded tightly. With that, I twisted the doorknob and made my way to the closest bathroom on the third level.

Although the Cullen's did not need bathrooms in the house, it's not like they could get rid of them. And, like Alice's bathroom, the one on the upper level was just as elaborate. It was elegantly decorated – the walls painted a dark burgundy, with the floor and cabinets in a dark cherry-wood color. I locked the door behind me and sat myself on the toilet seat, staring at the phone. My hand was shaking as I dialed Jacob's number.

After one ring, he answered.

"Hello?" I heard Jake say on the other end. He sounded like he was out of breath.

"Jake?"

"Bella – oh God – you're okay!" he sounded genuinely relieved. Immediately a shot of adrenaline ran through my veins.

"Yes – of course I'm okay! Oh man – what happened Jacob?"

There was some panting, and then he said, "Sorry – I'm a bit tired – give me a sec."

I gave him the second to rest – but it felt like a year. I was biting my nails, impatient as I was.

"Okay – Bella – we need to talk – face to face," he said, an edge to his voice.

"What? Oh Jacob – are you okay?" It felt like my head was going to explode.

"Yeah, I'm fine Bella!" he snapped impatiently. "Quit worrying about me."

I felt my mouth drop open and I struggled to regain some composure.

"I'm sorry. I just thought – well, Charlie said it was an emergency. I was worried something happened to you," I said finally.

He sighed. "Yeah well…" he paused, trying to figure out where to start. "Look – Bella. We need to talk – _as soon as possible_."

"Okay – we'll talk now!" I said, annoyed.

"I mean _face to face_," Jacob replied, almost snidely.

"I – I don't think that's possible – not today," I bit my lip.

"Oh – I get it – they're holding you captive now, right?" Jacob said, bitterly sarcastic at the end.

"How do you know where I am?" I demanded.

"I called Charlie – remember?"

"Oh yeah. Well – if you call going to the mall being held captive, be my guest," I said, miffed. I remembered when I thought that previously – but I didn't want him to be right about it. I didn't _want _to believe it.

"They're taking you – to the mall? The one in Port Angeles?" he sounded stunned.

"No – the one in Seattle. Of course the one in Port Angeles!" I snorted. Then I realized I was taking my uneasiness out on Jacob, when I should be happy I was having this opportunity to talk to him. The nightmare came into sharp focus once again.

"Wait – sorry – that was rude. I'm actually really glad to be talking to you right now Jacob. I've missed you. And – a lot has been going on," I said softly to him on the phone.

It was silent for a second on the other end of the phone. Then, he said slowly, a bit unnerved, "It's okay Bella… It's not like I don't deserve at least some of it. And you're right – a lot has been going on. That's why I need to talk to you – not on the phone however. I don't want any of your _leeches_ listening in."

"A-_hem_," I coughed, irritated.

"Okay – whatever – the _Cullen's_. Are they in the room with you now?"

"No… I… I locked myself in the bathroom actually."

Suddenly, there was a boom of laughter on the other end. I felt my cheeks go hot as Jacob fought to control his hysterics.

"What?" I challenged.

"It's just – man – Bella. You locked yourself in a bathroom? You mean they _actually have _one of those?"

"Yeah well – what would you tell your real estate agent when you want an eight bedroom house but with no bathrooms? Jeez Jake!" I said, exasperated.

"It's not that Bella," he said, gaining some control back. "It's just – well – you know that a lock on a bathroom door is not going to stop them from getting in, right?"

"Yeah – well – the _least _they could do is show a little decency and not bother me while I'm in here."

"Sure, sure," Jacob said. "'Course they'd do that, because they're decent and everything…"

"I'm rolling my eyes Jacob – just so you know," I muttered as I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks for the update," Jacob said. He suddenly seemed much lighter now. "But, seriously now – we _need _to talk – just because _you _think they're decent, doesn't mean they are. They could be eavesdropping for all I know."

"Jake!"

"Anyway – have fun at the mall. Still can't believe they're taking you there – stupid bloodsuckers…"

"Hey – Jacob – come on," I gritted my teeth, trying desperately not to get mad at him. But then there was a click on the other end and the line went dead.

"Wait a second!" I shouted into the already dead phone. Angry, and wanting to know what the hell was going on, I stomped to the bathroom door, jerked it open and marched back to Edward's room.

Alice was still sitting on his couch, her posture rigid, just like it was before I left her. She eyed me without emotion.

"How'd it go?" she asked flatly.

"Wonderful," I nearly barked at her. I threw the phone back to Alice who caught it with ease. I walked once around the room looking for a knapsack or something that I figured I must have brought over with my clothes. Then I remembered (with a sickening twist of my stomach) what I was wearing when I fell asleep last night. I gulped and looked down. Yep – I was still wearing Alice's "pajamas."

"Argh!" I yelled and flung my hands down to pull the lingerie back over my head.

"Hey – hey!" Alice said, catching my hand before I ripped the white, skimpy dress off. "Watch it – this is still mine you know. I would appreciate it very much if you didn't rip it." She was silent for a second as she absorbed my expression. She opened her mouth to say something, thought against it, and closed her mouth. The next time she opened her mouth she said, "Would you like to borrow some clothes, Bella?"

I just nodded slightly, staring straight ahead into the Cullen's backyard.

"Okay – don't worry. I know exactly what to give you," Alice said, walking fluidly out of the room.

_Yes, of course you know what I want_, I thought darkly. _At least _you're_ certain about everything – it's so _easy_ for you. _

I wish I could be so sure about what's going on in my life now.

-

I was staring distractedly at a huge zit on my forehead. I couldn't remember the last time I had one this huge since I was a least sixteen – maybe when I was seventeen. But here was this big red blotch on my forehead that was annoying the heck out of me. What was worse was that I pretty much knew what it was the product of – stress, stress, stress, and even more stress. It was times like these where I usually questioned myself. So while I picked and prodded at the zit on my forehead in the front seat mirror of Rosalie's car – I thought about my life.

What I discovered was that my life was determined by two factors. And the two factors – didn't get along so well. These factors I've been trying to push together for so long, but every time I try, every time I take that one extra step, I'm always blown off course again and again. I knew I just had to think and focus harder, find a way around the opposition the two factors had for one another, but it seemed like my opportunities continued to thin and thin – while a huge unknown, danger loomed in the distance…

I was looking too much into Jacob's conversation on the phone, I realized. I was so caught up – trying to figure out what was wrong, why he called, that I was picking at the zit was a strange sort of vigor. I noticed Esme chance a side glance at me from the driver's seat. I could tell she was troubled but she was trying not to express it. Alice sat in the back seat – she was upbeat, glad to finally get to shop with her life-sized doll.

Rosalie wanted to stay at home. Even when I got up the courage to ask her if she wanted to join us, she said she wanted to watch the house and wait for the boys to come back. She seemed almost nervous for some reason – which made me feel ten times worse than I already felt. To top off all my strains of the day, I was wearing one of Alice's slightly too-tight jeans and deep blue spaghetti-strap shirt. If I could choose to go anywhere today, I'd want to go home, check on Charlie, and change into some of my own clothes.

"Bella – if you squeeze that anymore it's going to-," Alice began.

Splat!

The zit popped to my utter amazement. I was so focused on my own thoughts that I had not realized I was still attacking the zit absent-mindedly.

"Oh," I said, as the zit began to ooze blood.

Suddenly the car lurched forward as it screeched to a halt. Esme was over the steering wheel, taking deep breaths – Alice's white hand popped out of nowhere with a band-aid.

"Oh how in the world did I know that I would need to bring the first aide kit with me?" Alice said with false concern.

"I'm so sorry Bella dear," Esme said, struggling to smile reassuringly. "I – I didn't mean to slam on the brakes."

"I know. _I'm _the one who should be apologizing. I honestly didn't realize that I was… well…" I hesitated to go on. "Obviously, I have a lot on my mind, that's all."

I took the band-aid from Alice, ripped it open, and put it over the popped zit. It made a nice little addition to the other bandage on my head from the events of last night. I grimaced at my image in the mirror and slammed it back up onto the ceiling. I was so bandaged up and bruised – like damaged goods almost. Perhaps it meant something was wrong with my head – or perhaps it was just a good representation of my own heart.

Esme's hand patted my knee. "I know – we all have a lot on our mind. But I'm sure your friend is okay. You should only be worrying about you."

_Better said than done_, I thought, narrowing my eyes at the road as Esme cautiously continued on her way to Port Angeles in Rosalie's car.

-

Today I learned that I can be extremely claustrophobic.

Take the amount of people at the Port Angeles mall yesterday, double it, then add another hundred, and I swear you would have the amount of people here _today_.

Everyone was here to make the most of the weekend. After the sunshine of the morning, low clouds began to move into view from the north – they looked like nothing at first glance – but if you stared at the sky long enough, you would swear that more and more clouds kept coming.

I grimly tolerated Alice's enthusiasm as she dragged me to every "hip" clothing and accessory store she could find. Whenever she handed me something to try on or ask my opinion on, I would just smile, nod, and do what I thought was appropriate. If she wanted me to try on a shirt, I would do it. If she asked if a shirt looked good on her, I would say it did.

"Bella, this is a yellow-green shirt with holes around the breasts," Alice said, appalled, after she asked for my input on yet another shirt.

"Huh – what? It does?" I finally forced myself to focus on the shirt. Sure enough, there were circular rips around the boobs that followed in two vertical lines down both sides of the shirt. Apparently, you either needed an undershirt for this ensemble, or if you wore it without anything underneath you would be showing quite a lot. Doing a quick glance at my surroundings, it appeared that we were in some sort of urban designer store – many of the items had extremely vibrant coloring to them.

"Oh," I said dumbly at my realization.

Alice closed her eyes and shook her head. She hung the strange shirt back on its rack. "I _knew _you weren't paying attention! Could you at least _pretend _that you're having fun? For me?"

"I thought I was," I replied honestly.

"No – it was strange. I've never seen you like this – it was like you were somewhere else entirely. Yes, you were here physically, but…" she frowned at me, not finishing her sentence.

I tried not to look horror-struck at what Alice said, but I realized that, as soon as we got to the mall, I had lapsed into my numb state that had kept me functioning for about seven months of my life.

"Okay – we need to get you engaged somehow," Alice mused aloud looking around. I noticed Esme by a rack of ostentatious looking pink leather pants; I tried not to gasp when she actually appeared slightly interested in buying a pair. Suddenly, Alice poked me in the shoulder.

"What?" I asked, alarmed.

"You need to shop!" she replied seriously.

"I thought that was what we were doing!"

"Not for you – but for _Edward_," she corrected.

I blinked. She was right. I needed to start looking for things in this mall somewhere that, one, I could afford, and two, that he might like.

I had no idea where to even start.

I looked at Alice with a blank expression – which I hope she interpreted as "help me."

"Come on – I think I know where we could start." She took my hand and started to drag me out of the store. Esme saw us pass and followed.

Forty-five minutes later, we were exiting yet another clothing store that was _way _beyond my price range. It was the same at every store – even the music stores we visited. I was so frustrated that I wanted to punch something. In the beginning, Alice said she would be happy to have bought his gift for me – or that she would pay half and I would pay the other half. Esme agreed too that she would be willing to offer anything to help. However, this just made me even more annoyed. I refused their offers, saying over and over again that if I was going to get something for Edward, I wanted to pay for it myself.

It was inching toward one-thirty when my stomach growled mercilessly. My eyes widened – I did not feel hungry at all today and the fact that my stomach was moaning in complaint shocked me. Clutching my stomach quickly, I hoped that Alice and Esme didn't notice. Just as quickly, I discovered that was a stupid hope.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Bella!" Esme said sympathetically. "I forgot – you need to eat. Do you want to stop at the food court now?"

"No – that's okay. It's not that bad really…"

Another loud groan from my stomach was interrupted when Alice suddenly stopped outside a store. She was looking inside with interest.

"Can your stomach wait a little longer Bella?" Alice asked serenely. "Real quickly, I want to peek inside here."

My eyes appraised the store. The windows were adorned with pink lace, pink stuffed dogs, bikini underwear, corsets entwined with black ribbon, and fluffy looking pink slippers. I gaped at the site. There was only one store that I knew had all this stuff in it.

"Oh yes – Victoria's Secret," Esme said smiling. She began to walk to where Alice was standing outside the door. I, on the other hand, remained rooted to the spot, staring after them.

"Are you coming Bella?" Alice asked, staring at me.

"Uh – you know what – I'm just going to sit outside. I'll wait for you guys out here when you're done, okay?" I said, trying not to grimace. In truth, I didn't want them to know how horror-struck I was that both of them were going to go inside. I knew there were other things in Victoria's Secret besides promiscuous merchandise, but after all the times my mother had dragged me into that store on many of her own little expeditions, I didn't want to relive some of those "remarkable" memories.

Alice looked between the store and back at me a couple of times – obviously determining whether it was okay to leave me alone or not. She gave me a hard glare.

"Don't move from that bench there. It'll be _both _of our heads if anything happens to you. We'll be watching from inside."

With that, Alice disappeared into the store, while Esme said, "Yes Bella – do be careful – none of us want anything to happen to you." Then she stepped inside too.

I sighed – the way they talked to me made me feel like I was five years old and being left for the first time on my own.

I sat on the brown bench directly outside of the store. I thought bitterly of the many disappointments I had trying to find Edward a gift. What was something I could afford that he could really love? Something worthy – something so fantastic that it could compensate for my inadequate self?

_Think Bella. What is something he would really enjoy? What would he love to get from you? _

My thoughts drifted to my eighteenth birthday where I had asked for nothing and ended up getting more than I deserved. Then I remembered Edward's gift – a CD of his own compositions that he had made just for me…

_And it didn't cost him a thing. _

A stroke of inspiration hit me then.

I grabbed one of the several bags Alice had me carrying and rummaged around inside of them. I pushed back several articles of clothing until I found it – a short, thin, white slip of paper – the receipt. It was flimsy and would probably tear easily, but it was the best I could do considering the circumstances. I examined the items on it briefly and suppressed a scowl when I realized exactly how much Alice had indulged me on. With that, I flipped the paper over to the blank side and began to grope through the purse that Alice let me borrow and contained the remnants of my purse from last night.

_Oh come on – come on! There _has _to be a pen in here somewhere!_

After a minute of fumbling through the bag, sure enough, there was a small, sleek, shiny black pen at the bottom. I smiled, popped off its cap, and began to write smoothly on the back of the receipt…

_You've stolen my heart,_

_Right from the start, _

_Now I'm yours to keep, _

_Locked in your gravity…_

I was not one for poetry. I barely wrote any poetry in my life, except for school projects or something like that. But the sudden inspiration to write something poetic caught me off guard. After about two stanzas of writing and scratching out lines, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Looking up, I expected to see Alice or Esme telling me they were ready to leave. Instead, I saw nobody in front of me. Nervously, I glanced around. Before I could look on the bench sitting behind me, I received another jab on my left shoulder. Frightened, I was about to get up and actually go into Victoria's Secret with the rest of the crew, until I heard a "psssst" behind me.

My heart rate accelerated dramatically. Whoever uttered the "pssst" behind me could be either friend or foe. But the instinct part of my brain decided not to take any chances. Opening my mouth I was about to yell, when –

"Bella – don't yell! It's Jake!" he hissed from behind me.

My eyes widened in relief as well as in surprise. I was about to turn around when he said, "No! Bella – don't turn your head – I'm trying to look inconspicuous. I don't want your _friends _to know I'm here."

I took a second to process that and then said softly, "Then, how do I know you really _are _Jacob?"

"Because – dang – Bella, you _stink_," Jake said. Even though he was whispering, I could still hear the disgust in his voice.

"Thanks Jake," and I couldn't stop from smiling then. Trying to look casual, I picked up Alice's purse and shoved the pen and the receipt with the poem on it inside. Then, when I was placing the purse inside a bag next to me on the bench, I turned my head slightly to see Jacob sitting there, shrinking low in the bench behind me in order not to look so tall. He wasn't doing a good job, no matter how low he was in the seat, his legs jutted far off the bench to make up for it. I noticed he was wearing all black, which surprised me some. I lounged back on the bench, and turned to face Victoria's Secret again.

"Jacob – what are you doing here?" I asked quietly, trying not to move my lips too much.

"Well, I thought it was kind of stupid of them to bring you here when you have more than nine vampires trying to get you."

I tried to hide my panic at this news. "What do you mean – more than _nine _vampires?"

"Bella," he said, serious now. "After you told me where you were going to be today on the phone, I followed you. We _really _need to talk."

"Okay, then talk!" I said, trying not to look too irritated.

"Not here though."

"Well Jake," I said, excruciatingly sarcastic now. "I'm on a really tight schedule – you're going to have to give me a time and place and I'll see if I can squeeze you in."

"Bella – look – if we talk here I'll look suspicious!" Jacob said, annoyed.

He wasn't the only one annoyed.

"It's not like I can do this some other time. I'm being watched all the time," I said ruefully.

"I just need you for ten minutes. Can you get away from them for at least ten minutes?"

"That's _really _stretching it," I replied bitterly.

"Five minutes then?"

I stared at my folded hands on my knees and was revisited by the time I got away from Alice and Jasper at the Phoenix airport. It wasn't like I was in a much different situation – the mall on a Saturday was crowded and filled with nooks and crannies one could hide in. However, the last time I ran away from my protectors, the whole scenario did not turn out exactly as I planned. What if this wasn't any different?

"I'll… _try_. But, I'm honestly not guaranteeing anything. I don't know this mall as well as I know the airport," I said dreamily.

"The airport? What are you talking about?" Jake asked, puzzled.

"Oh – sorry. I guess I was thinking out loud." My eyebrows furrowed in concentration as I ran through possible "escape for five minutes" scenarios. After an awkward minute of silence, it hit me.

"Jacob," I said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"She can't see you!" I said jubilantly.

"Okay – you've lost me."

"Alice! She can't see you! In her visions!"

"What do you mean 'she can't see me'?"

"Alice – when she sees the future. She can't see the future of you or your entire pack for that matter. We don't know why exactly – but werewolves seem to be immune to her gift!" I muttered to him quickly, feeling pleased with myself.

"Are you serious?" Jacob said ecstatically. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I guess I forgot," I said honestly. Truly, I had not thought about that little piece of information at all. "Alice will know if _I _decide to escape -," I realized suddenly and continued, "- but, if _you_…"

"Oh yes! I've got an idea – we'll work on snap decisions here then. I just need to get you to La Push and – oh _shi_ –"

"What is it? Jake?" I whispered urgently, but when there was no reply, I looked up to see Esme and Alice walking towards me out of Victoria's Secret.

Trying to look innocent, I grabbed the bags off of the bench and stood up when they got closer – hopefully appearing like I was ready to go anywhere they wanted to.

Instead of the happy smile I thought I would get from Alice, I received a dry glare – Esme's eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

"What?" I asked Alice, trying to sound alarmed.

"Your future just disappeared," she replied brusquely.

"What do you mean it disappeared?"

She didn't answer – instead she looked around smoothly and murmured softly, "Smells like dog. One of them is here. Let's go grab something at the food court and leave."

"Oh – Alice…" I thought quickly. I needed to stall for more time in case Jacob was planning something. "You sure you don't want to shop anymore? I know you really wanted to hit a few stores up ahead…" At least, last time I remembered, she wanted to hit a few stores up ahead…

Alice rolled her eyes. "It's not like you were really paying attention anyway – I'm fine with going home now. Besides, you have to be hungry. Have you eaten anything today?"

I would not deny that I was hungry.

Without warning, Alice took my hand and the bags, and, with Esme on my other side, the two of them led me to the food court. I mentally kicked myself the entire way.

-

Fast food smells wafted from the outlet ahead of us. My stomach made a noise that was a mix between a gargle and a moan as we approached – I hated myself for it. I glanced around at the food selections, but before I could come to a reasonable decision, Alice was pulling me by the arm.

"You're going to want Subway – might as well speed things up," she said in an almost detached voice. Horror-struck, I realized Alice's visions were going to make this food excursion go much faster than what I was planning for. Furthermore, I concluded that her tone hinted she was mad at me, probably because I talked to a "dog" behind her back.

All around us people were lining up in jumbled, disorganized lines in front of the food counters. Being a Saturday, there was already pandemonium in the mall as it was. Glimpsing around, I noticed that there were only three actual restaurants in the food court, coupled with a Starbucks and a Mrs. Field's. Alice and Esme stood in front of me in the chaotic mess of people, both staring at the menu. I wondered vaguely whether they did this because they were interested in the food choices, or if they were just distracting themselves from the crowd. In any case, I stood behind them, losing myself to thought while staring at a metal awning that jutted out over the Subway stand ahead of us. It was a dull steely color and was situated at such an angle so that the reflections of those in front of us appeared as a foggy blur of colors on the metal. I tried not to laugh when I thought about a time in my life when I believed vampires, if they _actually _existed, wouldn't have reflections. I watched it as we moved up in line – a baby in a stroller being pushed closer to the stand, a group of girls talking excitingly to the side about one thing or another, a tall, limp looking man shouting orders into a cell phone, a small girl swinging off her mom's hand, a flash of red-brown skin…

I held my breath in surprise. It was only an instant, but, I could have sworn…

A hand clasped over my mouth to silence the scream. Suddenly I was being lifted into the air and jostled about like a rag doll. Air was moving passed my cheeks and my eyes watered with all the movement. From what I could tell, I was moving through crowds and even slamming into some people. Some of them would turn back around and deliver crude remarks that I could barely comprehend or focus on. I could tell my captor was human – his hands were warm and he did not move in the almost smooth, gliding way that I've come to associate vampires with. But I could not deny he was fast – much faster than a normal human for that matter. At present, I tried squirming, twisting, and turning hopelessly in the arms of my kidnapper – but it was no use. The arms that held me were iron bars and despite my feeble attempts to break them, the bars did not so much as crack. Fighting back tears, I continued my struggle for freedom.

As I was pondering actually biting the fingers that held my mouth shut, and wondering distantly whether Alice or Esme caught sight of my disappearance, a rough, desperate voice made me stop everything I was doing.

"Bella! Jeez, quit moving! It's hard enough trying to dodge two vampires without you making it ten times worse!"

"Jaaub?" I spluttered into Jacob's hand, which was still clasped over my mouth.

Despite the muffled sound of my voice, he was able to understand me.

"Yes its Jacob! Who else would it be?" he rasped.

_I could think of some other people who it could be… _I thought, irritated that he caught me so off guard when I was expecting something to happen. I muttered a string of angry responses into his hand which he interpreted as something entirely different.

"Well, when you said that the little one couldn't see what was going on in _my_ head, I sort of acted on a whim. I tried to act quickly, without leaving any time for you to think about it," he said proudly.

"Waaare uuu taaaing sss?" I said into his hand, then added, "Tae uuur 'and ufff eee!"

"Oh, sorry," Jacob muttered and hastily dropped his hand from my mouth while repositioning me in his arms. "And to answer your previous question – were going to La Push."

Jacob continued to stride forward into a gathering of girls who barely got out of his line of fire in time.

"Jeez Jacob! You could at least be a little less aggressive!" I shouted at him.

"This is the only way to distract them. Hopefully, they haven't noticed yet – damnit, they already do," Jacob swore.

He bounded forward with a new sort of vigor, sidestepping and leaping into as many people as he could, supposedly to get Alice and Esme off of our trail. Suddenly, he made a tight right turn into a bathroom hallway between two stores. With his speed and agility, going down the hallway and through the double door exit out of the mall made me fell like I was going through a tunnel – similar to the cliché tunnel people travel through before death.

The sky was a bizarre dark gray color – the clouds were threatening to pour forth their liquid viscera upon the earth. I shivered when a wind swept passed me after Jacob placed me on the blacktop behind the mall. I squinted up at the sky and cursed that it had to recede back into its ever-present stony self of Forks after the brief sunshine of the morning. Although the clouds were common in Forks, the sudden chill outside was not and I wrapped my hands around myself. I looked back over at Jacob who was pacing and throwing continual furtive glances my way.

"So what now?" I asked, throwing up my hands. "Knowing them, they'll be here in two seconds."

"I know, I know!" Jacob said, agitated. "Listen, Bella – there's only one way to get out of here in time…" he paused, appraising me. Then he said, smiling sweetly, "You like dogs – right?"

I gapped at him. "No way – there is _no way_ I'm going to do that!"

"We'll go through the forest – it's not like anyone will see you!"

"No!"

Jacob squinted at me, and then said – "Fine – I'm going over there to think of another plan while, in the meantime, your _bloodsuckers_ get closer and closer!"

And with that, Jacob strode angrily into the trees surrounding the back lot of the mall. I watched him in cold silence, crossing my arms and shouting – "Fine Jake! Think up another plan. I'm going to sit right here and wait for Alice and Esme to come back and get me. Whatever happened to you last night can wait I guess!"

But before I could even cross my legs and sit on the asphalt, out of the darkness, tall and muscular in his russet-colored wolf form, Jacob charged directly towards me. I didn't have time to move – I didn't even have time to _scream_. I was frozen as Jacob ran right up to me and, in one fluid motion, caught me with his mammoth head and tossed me over his back. I landed with a plop on my stomach, desperately trying to regain my balance on his giant body. He stopped while I strung my arms around his neck and grabbed onto his long fur – but before I could even say, "No – listen Jacob –" and try to disembark, Jacob pounded forward, twisting himself around a full 180 degrees and heading back into the forest. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw the backdoors of the mall open…

The experience of riding on Jacob's back was quite unlike anything I've done before. I gritted my teeth and held tighter onto his hair. The whole thing could be described as trying to stay onto one of those mechanical bulls at a rodeo show or country bar. Despite my difficulty in getting a good hold on Jacob, it would be a stretch to say that it wasn't exhilarating – because, in an odd way, it was extremely exciting. It was a rough sort of riding – the wind whipping against my hair (most of my head being buried into Jacob's shoulder blades) and my whole body seeming to move along with Jacob as he moved. I could tell Jacob was trying very hard to keep me on top of him – but I knew he was enjoying the speed and the freeing sensation of it all. Perhaps that was the reason why I wasn't panicking so much.

I don't know how long we were running for – perhaps just a few minutes – perhaps a few hours. Being with Jacob was like being in a dream. I felt as if I wasn't there – my body was, but my spirit was somewhere else entirely – the whole event was just so surreal. Time didn't seem to matter to me anymore – in fact, nothing seemed to matter anymore. Perhaps that is why, the next thing I knew, I was standing numbly outside of Jacob's house.

There was a tap on my shoulder and I jolted to the side. Jacob was standing there, looking at me with a concerned look on his face. His touch seemed to have woken me from my trance.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked, worried.

"Yeah," I said, trying to shake myself into lucidness.

"You sure? Cause, man, you look paler than usual. Did I really scare you that much?" Jake asked, getting playful at the end and bumping me on the shoulder.

"Actually – in an odd way – I guess that was sort of peaceful," I answered sincerely. "It was a very out of body experience… I liked it." I nodded, smiling.

Jacob did not seem to find my words peculiar – in fact, he nodded himself. "It's like that for me every time…" Then, for a second, Jacob's eyes sort of glazed and he looked like he was in another place entirely. Eventually, he said seriously, "I better do this quick – the guys already know I brought you here and they're not going to be happy with me."

"Why's that?"

"Well, because I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be telling you this. But, I think you have a right to know – since I'm almost _positive_ that it concerns you."

"And that's why you went on this huge quest to get me here?" I pried.

"Yep."

"Hum, must be good then," I concluded.

Jacob grinned and took my hand. "Let's walk," he said.

The shadows were getting longer as the sun began to set. The two of us were walking along the edge of the road in the general direction of the La Push boundary line. I could smell the grass. It was a sweet smell, one that hinted at the prospect of more rain. Great – that was just what I needed. Jacob continued to hold onto my hand, but I didn't mind. It was comforting – his hand was big and warm – a cushion that kept me from the chilliness of outside. In fact, the whole scenario was like something ripped from my memory of an earlier time – when it was just Jacob and I together. The two of us were silent – just walking. The whole thing was serene and I realized how much I really missed Jacob.

I wasn't sure if Jacob was enjoying the walk as much as I was – or perhaps he was enjoying it more than me. Eventually, I ended up being the one who broke the silence. "So – what is this thing you have to tell me?"

Jacob sighed. For the first time, I realized how tired he was. There were deep, dark circles under his eyes, his hair was more ruffled than usual, and, with a pang in my stomach, I noticed that he looked much older. His sigh added to the whole effect – it was heavy and pained.

"Jake – when was the last time you slept?" I asked.

He yawned. "You've noticed."

"Jake – you look like hell," I said – using the same words Alice so kindly used to describe me more than a month ago.

"Thanks – I'm kind of going for the dead look. I heard you're going for that look too," he said, cruelly sarcastic.

I dropped his hand and stared at him. "Is this why you brought me here?" I asked scathingly.

Immediately, Jacob was apologetic. "No, no – it's not. Sorry – that sort of slipped out. I don't want to fight today. I'm sorry." He reached for my hand again, but I crossed my arms.

"Then tell me what's going on," I said curtly.

He exhaled and said, "Okay – I've been up all last night and this entire morning running. At about twelve last night one of _them_ crossed into the La Push territory."

"Define _them_," I said frowning, heart starting to race.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Jacob asked, irritated. "It was a bloodsucker – not a scent I recognized."

I nearly choked on my own spit – if that's possible. "What?"

"Yeah I know. This was the first we've seen of them in awhile. Of course, the pack of us followed the scent – for _hours_. We even caught a glimpse of the one we were pursuing."

If I bit my lip any harder, it was going to start bleeding.

"It was a female – shorter, like the annoying one you are so fond of," he said, scowling. "She also had really blond hair – almost white I guess. And, man, I gotta say, I thought I was fast, but I'm nothing compared to this one. She bolted out of there as soon as she realized we were following her.

"So anyway, that's why I wanted to talk to you… because I _know_ you are somehow involved in this one way or another. And right now Bella, _you_ are going to tell me how." Jacob stared at me fiercely, waiting for an answer that, for some reason, I couldn't seem to give. My mouth wouldn't move and I had no idea what to tell him. Jacob rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'm asking you your feelings about me or anything Bella – come on! This is serious – this is about your safety and I think that _you owe me_ a little more than you're giving back."

I gulped and trained my eyes to the ground. "You're right Jacob – I owe you way more than I could ever repay back… But I honestly don't know how to tell you any of this."

"Bella – quit it with that. Whatever you have to tell me, tell me. I can take it, whatever it is." He crossed his arms and waited.

My eyes drifted until I was looking now at my feet. After I arranged my thoughts, I said slowly, "Do you remember, more than a month ago, when I told you about that Victoria character?"

"This is still about her? I thought she'd left – and I'm pretty positive that wasn't her scent the pack and I got."

"It isn't… let me explain."

We stood there, the two of us, as I told Jacob everything – well, _almost_ everything. I told him of Alice's vision, Victoria's call, the people tracking us, how frightened I was… I poured it all out to Jacob in a huge deluge. It was like I was getting an enormous boulder off my shoulders, and the freedom of not having the weight anymore very nearly sent me into hysterics right in front of Jacob. It was nice to talk freely to Jake like this – he didn't even interrupt. He nodded, or sighed, or grunted when I mentioned the others. Sometimes he quivered angrily, but the self-control he learned since last I remembered him was amazing. Despite this, I couldn't bring myself to tell him all of the details of last night – only that the Cullen's chased the blonde vampire into the woods after the crash. It seemed so recent; I myself couldn't seem to process everything that had happened the night before (especially the marriage part). Plus, I didn't want to test Jacob's self-control. If he knew everything… I had a sickening feeling that he might explode. At least what I told him explained the band-aids on my forehead.

Near the end of my speech, Jacob wrapped his huge arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him. I placed my head on his warm chest and I realized that I had been crying. Hastily, I wiped the tears from my eyes and wondered how stupid I must have looked. Suddenly, Jacob was wiping my cheek as well and pulling the hair out of my face. I knew I should have stopped him, but I didn't care. It was comforting and I closed my eyes. Jacob's arms pulled me closer to him and I sighed. Being crushed to him seemed to stop my heart from pounding so chaotically – for some reason… There was a little movement and I thought that Jacob had let go of me. Then something moist kissed my cheek…

My eyes flashed open only to see Jacob staring back at me, bent down to my level. His eyes were intense and his features unusually soft. For the wildest moment, I felt like I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me, so as to get better access to his lips. Then my brain seemed to catch up with my body.

"What was that?" I asked, backing up from Jacob's reach.

Then Jacob was grinning, a glistening toothy smile, suddenly glorious. "Don't tell me you didn't like that."

"I didn't like it," I said, but my voice was flat and didn't carry with it the anger it should have.

"I saw your eyes Bella," Jacob said. "I know you want more – and I would be happy to give you what you want."

I scowled at him. "Don't presume you know what I was thinking!"

Jacob took a step closer to me, doing some strange gestures with his eyebrows.

"Don't come any closer," I growled, taking a step backwards. "I'm warning you."

"Or you'll what? Start throwing punches?" Jacob mused, enjoying himself, continuing to come closer.

"I'll – I'll scream," I threatened uselessly – knowing that if I punched Jacob I'd likely lose the use of my wrist.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Come on Bella – can't you at least admit to _yourself_ that you may hold some feelings for me?"

"I told you! I love you Jake – as a _friend_ and nothing more! Quit getting ideas!"

"I'm not getting any ideas. But you seem to be."

Jacob took a more forceful stride forward making me have to take a longer step back. This time though, my feet did not make contact with the solid concrete. Instead, my heel hit the edge of the road where the ground started to roll downhill. I lost my balance and my arms went flailing.

"Ah!" I exclaimed, preparing for the fall.

I was about to drop backwards, into the mud and grass and leaves of the forest, when a hand caught me and pulled me up. Then I was drawn into something hard.

"Boy – you sure can't go two seconds without doing something stupid, can you?" Jacob said, hugging me closer to him.

"Let me go Jake," I grunted.

"Look, I just want to let you know something Bella," Jacob said. "Can you stop moving? Man, all you've been doing is squirming today."

I relaxed a bit, but I was still tenser than a board.

"Thank you," Jacob breathed in my ear. "Look, Bella, I just want to tell you that – that I love you – more than you can possibly imagine – more than _just_ friends. I can't live without you."

I gulped.

"Because of this, I'm not going to stand in the side lines anymore. I can't stand being passive and depressed 24/7 – it's not only killing me, but it's killing the guys too," he said, laughing slightly. "But, I can't listen to Sam anymore. This has gone on long enough – Bella… I'm going to protect you, I promise."

My lips were quivering. What was I supposed to say?

"Hum," Jacob dropped his hands off of me. "It feels so much better finally saying that."

"J-Jake, I-"

"Don't say anything now Bella, please."

"But Jake! You have to listen! You've got it all wrong!"

"I don't think I do," he said smoothly. "If only you could wrap around the idea that it is possible to be in love with two people at once, I think you'd feel much better about all this."

"No Jacob! Would you get it in your thick skull that I love Edward?! That I love _him_ only?!"

"What? You don't think Mister Huge Ego can take a little competition?" Jacob grinned.

"Stop it Jacob! Stop it!" I said, stomping my foot on the ground.

"In any case, I finished what I set out to do. Thanks to you, the pack won't be so much in the dark anymore and we can finally finish off those leeches following you the _right_ way."

I blanched. "What?"

"We think we have a probable location of where they are hiding out. We can take them out, no problem."

"No – no, Jake, you can't!" Seeing Jacob facing those monsters – someone so much more vulnerable than the Cullen's – made me sick to my stomach.

"Quit it with that. I'm not as easy to break as you may think. The pack heals fast."

"I want to go home," I said between clenched teeth.

"Oh come on Bella…"

"Now."

Jacob sighed and said, "Let me at least walk you home."

"Whatever," I said and marched forward ahead of him.

We walked forward in total silence. I had no idea what Jacob was thinking – he seemed to be content and half entertained at the same time from what I could tell. I, on the other hand, was extremely confused.

What if Jacob was right? Is it possible to love two people at once? What I was feeling before – wanting to pull Jacob closer – was that just an "out-of-body" experience? Or, was it something more? Either way, even if I _did_ love Jacob, I knew in my heart of hearts, it was nowhere near the affection that I held for Edward. Although I couldn't stop thinking about Jacob everyday, I was still living just fine without him – wasn't I? When Edward was gone, wasn't I a complete wreck? Wasn't I an empty shell? I was – wasn't I? Suddenly, I was beginning to doubt that when I remembered what light Jacob brought into my life when Edward disappeared.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts I wobbled on the road a bit. I noticed Jacob throwing me quick glances, making sure that I didn't lose my balance again.

Then, it appeared in the distance. It was small and blurry at first, but as the two of us walked closer, it became larger and more focused. It was a silver Volvo, sitting just on the other side of the boundary line. My heart sped up and I wondered how long he had been sitting there.

I was still walking forward when I realized that Jacob wasn't beside me. Turning around, I noticed Jacob had stopped several feet behind me.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Abruptly, I felt like this was the best time to taunt Jacob. "What – are you afraid of 'Mister Huge Ego' now?"

He shook his head. He was staring forward, his expression creepily Sam-like.

"I think it's time for me to head back," he said finally. He looked confused and seemed to be concentrating on something.

"Jacob – are you okay?" I asked, immediately concerned.

"Sure, sure – I'm fine." His expression changed into something playful. "I promise that I'll see you soon Bella. Screw the treaty."

Although I knew I shouldn't have, I laughed at the last part.

"Bye Bells."

There was a honk and I knew it was time to leave.

"Bye Jake," I said, waving sadly. I turned and walked forward. It felt so awkward walking between the two of them. I felt like a toy being shared between two brothers.

As I got closer to the car, I noticed that it wasn't Edward in the front seat. Instead, it was Alice, looking positively livid. I sighed. After what happened at the mall, I guess I could understand.

Only a few yards away from the car, I decided to turn around again. Jacob was gone. I wondered how he was. Was he distraught? Happy? He couldn't possibly be as confused as I was. I wasn't sure how much more drama my heart could take.

There was another honk.

"All right, all right already! I get it Alice!" I said, annoyed. Who knew how mad she was?

I stalked around into the passenger seat and yanked the door open. As soon as I sat down and closed the door, the car whipped around and began to head home. Once we were a little ways away from La Push and careening down the road, I finally worked up the courage to look Alice in the eye.

"Look, Alice, I'm sorry. But I wasn't hurt or anything. And, I think I was getting a little too much confinement. _Jacob would never hurt me_," I said, going on through my planned spiel, until I noticed something was off with Alice. I stopped then and stared at her.

She was still angry as she stared at the road ahead. She still had her spiky black hair. She was still small, pale, and delicate looking. She was still wearing what she was at the mall. For a second, I thought my strange feeling about Alice was ill-founded, until I looked at her eyes.

They still looked sunken, with the purple hues around them… But her eyes were red – a deep, eerie, ominous, blood red…

Suddenly it became hard to breath as the corners of her mouth lifted up into a triumphant smile.

"I didn't realize this was going to be so unbelievably easy, Bella sweet," the women behind the wheel said pleasantly.

This _wasn't_ Alice.

I gaped at her, terrified beyond belief. In my head, I was going through all the escape strategies that my father taught me when I was little. But, unfortunately, there wasn't a single strategy about how to get away from a bloodthirsty vampire. I remained frozen to the spot, unable to blink.

"Of all days -" the women continued, her voice high-pitched and seductive, "- the dog's foolish capture of you was the perfect time to intervene! You even fell for the car – a perfect replication of the one totaled yesterday. I thought you might have been more observant than that. But, ah, I guess not."

_Oh god – I did forget about the car. Was that why Jacob was confused? _Her gaze appraised me rooted to the seat.

"I'm still trying to figure out why he's so interested in you. You're pretty lanky and unattractive, no offense sweet. And apparently, you don't have much in the brain department. Hum, I guess I'll find out sooner or later then." She shrugged and turned her attention back to the road.

I tried to move my mouth but no sound came out. Perhaps the reason I couldn't argue with her was because I agreed with her assessment of me.

The girl removed a black, spiky wig to reveal a set of white-blond strands that belonged to the female from yesterday. I gasped, panic taking control of my body, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. But I couldn't do anything.

"Ah – that was getting annoying," the girl said after taking the wig off. "Now – Victoria wants you alive, but I don't want you to start screaming or anything. It'll attract attention – I'm sure you understand. Plus, I'm sure the one with the black hair will figure out where you've gone and where you are going sooner or later so we have to do this quick." She paused and stared at me, contemplating. "I don't want to completely mutilate you trying to render you unconscious or anything, so this'll have to do."

She reached over swiftly into the glove compartment in front of me. She pulled something out so fast that I only caught a glimpse of what it was before she shut the glove compartment closed again. It was red and in the general shape of a gun with what looked like two metal prongs at one end of it.

"I've never used one of these before, but it looks effective."

All of a sudden, I felt two pieces of cold metal touch the soft skin of my arm. Before I could even pull my arm away, there was a buzzing sound in my head and the world blackened around my eyes. The last thing the thought was: _Oh crap_.

-----

_**AN: **__Holy crap finally!! This took me forever to work on. I won't even tell you guys how busy I've been (what with this huge project at the beginning of the year that kept turning into even more projects, traveling, and crap). School has been hectic this year so far – and even this holiday season! I just finished my finals last week – as soon as they were done with, however, I had to travel some more. Again, I apologize guys for the long wait. Hopefully, this makes up for it – the incredible length of this chapter! In all honesty, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but it's going to be fun to write! Hopefully, that means it'll be up sooner. It's going to be shorter as well (sorry). I promise everything from now on is going to be more fast-paced._

_Now, if you noticed, I was very analytical in this chapter. Sorry if this bothered you guys, but I wanted to see if I could better understand Stephenie's characters and make it clearer for your guys how I perceive them to be. Perhaps this chapter was as enlightening to you guys as it was to me writing it. Plus, if you noticed, I was very much influenced by _Eclipse_ in this chapter (especially Jacob's new attitude!). _

_And now, I leave you guys with this. Enjoy – I'll try to keep you guys entertained until _Breaking Dawn_ and the _Twilight_ movie come out. ;D_


	11. Another Side

_**Author's Note:**__ Wow guys, this feels like old times!! I'm up at 2:30 a.m. starting the next chapter! Yayayayayay. I think this is the time of night where I get the most inspiration and I just don't want to sleep. Ah well. Today was a snow day for me and it's one of those days that deserve staying up late and writing. The next chapter is not going to be that long (at least, I'm _planning _on it not being that long, but, knowing me, I get carried away), but it's going to be exciting (hopefully)! Also, it is in _**Edward's** _point of view, so don't be confused. Well, I think this is enough said. Enjoy the next chapter! __**(More recent comment at the end.)**_

_**Disclaimer: **_Twilight_, _New Moon_, and _Eclipse_ are property of Stephenie Meyer. I do not own them whatsoever. _

**Another Side…**

There is something about it that is irresistible.

Humans don't understand. They don't have the heightened senses or the brain capacity for it. I envied them, and pitied them. It was other-worldly. It was a curse and a gift. Something I was forced to coexist with and thrive on. Without it, I was nothing. With it, I was nothing still.

It was blood.

Blood on my hands, blood on my lips, blood on my tongue…

It was and still is hard to picture myself as the loathsome creature I am. Of course, it was nice to hide the fact of my present reality – to delude myself into thinking I was a respectable, admirable person. But the fact was, the cold hard truth… it was hard to swallow, even more difficult to think to myself or write in words.

The worst part was having the thoughts of someone like me to act as a mirror of myself during our "excursions". Emmett, Jasper… even _Carlisle_'s thoughts were indescribable and verged on the point of sounding insane – not even remotely human in any shape or form. More animal-like and instinctive… God knows it has taken me years to train myself from shutting out the thoughts of both victim… and predator.

I stuffed what was left of the animal in the hole created from ripping up a tree trunk. With a loud "snap!" I slammed the tree back down in its proper place. Licking what was left of the blood off of my fingertips and lips, I thought idly about last night. It made the blood taste sweeter than usual – but it was still so bland. I suppose it could only be compared to a health drink, despite the fact I did not know what one tastes like.

_"Yes…"_ she had said softly…

I leaned against the tree trunk and slowly closed my eyes.

_"Yes, Edward, yes!"_

I slipped down the trunk until I was sitting on the grass.

_Yes! She said yes!_

It was surprising how one little word could affect me so much. No longer were Emmett, Jasper, or Carlisle's thoughts coming through. Instead, that one little word, that one little delicate whisper, was repeating over and over again in my mind like a broken record.

_Yes, yes, yes!_

If my heart was still beating, I was sure it would have fallen out of my chest. Nothing compared to this feeling. I felt – I felt _alive_. Bella had no inkling of how much this meant to me. I knew I had been missing something in my life for a long time – and I realized that this was it. She made me whole – complete – she was _mine_ now, and always will be.

"Yo!"

Something with great force hit me in the head. I'm sure a mere human would have suffered a concussion from such a blow. Startled, I fell over to the side, but quickly regained my composure and jumped to my feet, looking around.

"Hey lover bird!" _Wake up!_

Emmett was smirking at me and dusting his hands off. Glancing briefly behind me, I saw that he had thrust a rather decent-sized log directly at my face. Jasper and Carlisle strolled up beside Emmett, both smiling.

"You must _really_ be out of it if you didn't see that one coming," Emmett laughed.

I scowled and tried to relax my tense posture. I was way too distracted today.

_We're planning on going to another area – are you coming? _

Carlisle always knew how to get right to the point. That was what was intriguing about his thoughts; being a doctor, he was the most organized, structured, and logical of all of us. It made me hold even more respect for him than I already did.

I considered the proposition – I was ultimately satisfied for the day. Even while hunting, I had never really focused on what I was doing. My instincts took control and I was able to ponder on something else, entirely outside of myself.

"No thanks," I said, looking at Carlisle. "I think I'm going to head back now – I've had enough for one day."

"Suit yourself then," Carlisle said, throwing me a discreet wink that made me feel years younger – at a time where I might have blushed from the gesture.

Emmett too was smiling when he said "Good – now we can get rid of the dead weight!" and punched me playfully in the shoulder. I couldn't help but grin back.

With a nod in my direction, Carlisle turned away with Emmett on his heels to the next most frequented hunting ground. Jasper, however, lingered longer, staring at me.

Jasper's mind was interesting, although not very difficult to understand. His hazel eyes scanned me briefly before –

_Be careful Edward. Sometimes an extremely ecstatic feeling can leave us being careless._

I stared carefully at him for a second and tried to change my facial expression into something flat – emotionless. After all the lies and deceptions I've been able to pull off in my life, I couldn't seem to change my face this one time. I could still feel the sides of my mouth pull up into a well-defined smile. I wondered how idiotic I looked.

Jasper gave me an understanding smile and left with _I know exactly how you feel._

The irony in that just made my smile broader. Feeling it is one thing – _experiencing_ it was something entirely different.

Once Jasper had left, I was finally alone. No more constant thoughts badgering me – silence. It was nice to have those times to myself once and awhile…

Of course, I always have those times with Bella too, but I usually ended up getting frustrated – being shut out of others' minds can be more than aggravating.

_"__You know what you are? Extremely insecure about yourself – and a tad arrogant – and a bit of a show off at times. Because of the fact that you read minds you've become dependent on your gift to get to know others. You judge people before you actually know them."_

I snorted. The conversation Alice and I had the night before still rang in my head, although I was trying hard to shut it out.

_What if I do rely on my gift too much?_

I brushed that question aside as well. I've had plenty of time to get to know and understand people – studying their actions, hearing their thoughts… It was almost beginning to become trivial – the times of humans.

_"If she didn't have a closed mind – would you still have – _

_Fallen in love with her?" _

My first instinct to that question was to shout at Alice a decisive and immediate "Yes, of course!" But, the more I thought about it, the more I wasn't sure. What if it truly was the fact that her mind was closed to me? Was that the only thing that had interested me? Of course there was her blood too…

_Did we fall in love too fast?_

I stopped in my tracks – I did not even know I was walking in the first place.

No…

Then I saw it – a kaleidoscope of pictures and memories that could never be erased from my memory. They were permanently etched forever – a brand on a back of a cow… They were all there: the good and the bad, the happy and sad, the beautiful and ugly… Visions of Bella on the first day of school – at Port Angeles – with Charlie – in the ballet studio – at the hospital – at the prom – in Italy – on the plane – at La Push – in her bedroom…

Last night…

Something came to me then – some part of that conversation with Alice that I had never really considered before…

_"It's almost as if she was… _made_… just for you, Edward_._"_

I think my jaw must have dropped every so slightly.

It seemed to make sense – perhaps my existence _did_ have a purpose – to meet her.

Yes, I might have waited a hundred years, but why did I feel like it was worth every second?

It explained everything – her mind being blocked, her alluring smell, her kindness, her beauty –

The fact that we kept colliding into each other again and again…

Was she made for me? It was an unbelievably healing idea that she was created just to complete my soulless life. And it certainly pointed to this – after years, she was my only companion – the only one who ever made me whole – even after that whole mishap with Tanya years ago.

This whole ordeal is shrouded in cosmic irony. Maybe Alice was a tad right on her whole "fate" idea – but I still couldn't help feeling that what Bella and I had was more than just kismet.

_What am I doing here? _

The sudden sunshine was even blinding to my eyes – it couldn't be helped that my sparkling self added to the brightness. I hated that. I blinked a couple of times and stared at my surroundings.

There was no describing the place my feet ended up taking me.

The wind was faster than normal and when I glanced up at the sky, it looked like the clouds were chasing one another. The air pushed back the grass strands in the field until it looked like a whole sea rippling in time to the drop of a single pebble in water. Gold and violet flowers were pushing out of the ground and following the current of the grass. With a wild rush, I could hear the babbling stream nearby. The whole scene made me feel powerful, tender, and whole simultaneously.

It was the meadow.

Hum, funny how your subconscious controls your body.

I grinned as I walked easily forward into the warmth. So many times I have found solitude in this place…

I stopped at a peculiar white flower in the middle of all the purple and yellow. There was something about it that caught my attention – it almost looked like it was glowing – an amaranth – undying. I knelt down and plucked it from the ground to examine it further.

It had a pale, nostalgic feel about it. It was beautiful and oozed vitality, but, strangely, it was quiet and wistful too. Suddenly, I felt a longing that couldn't quite be explained – almost as if the flower had reminded me of something. My fingers slowly released the amaranth and I watched as it drifted feather-like towards the ground.

_What am I doing here? This place no longer holds magic just for me alone… It is no longer just _my_ place…_

I straightened myself just as the approaching clouds blocked out the sun. Everything looked grayer now. I stared at the northern end of the meadow.

_She has to be here too._

What was I doing there? I should have been at home, with her, of all days.

_Home_ – the word was so comforting – did I actually have one now?

"Bella…" I said softly to no one.

Just as I was going to start sprinting back to my only home, I _heard_ someone –

I froze, concentrating on the thoughts.

_Repeat it over and over… Just repeat it over and over… Don't think about anything else… when you repeat it over and over… repeat, repeat, repeat, verbatim… so boring…_

He was male with a huskier tone to his voice. Nothing about his thoughts indicated whether he was friend or foe.

_Perhaps I should get out of here_, I thought mildly, _before this gets out of hand._

_I swear she thinks she's the queen bee – ordering us – oh crap. Repeat, repeat, repeat – why did I join again? An expedition, an adventure – yes, that's right… dang it… repeat, repeat, repeat…_

My mouth went into a flat line. These thoughts were _not_ from the same person – this one was male as well and the essence of his voice was more shrill and shriek-like than husky. What was creepy was that both of their thoughts were eerily dull – what was with the "repeating"? Perhaps these characters were on a hiking trip…

_Like I have a choice. It's more annoying than anything – I just need this one. Bright blue birds fly in the big blue sky. This should be interesting… shit – Bright blue birds fly in the big blue sky… Wonder how cute he is? She sure thinks – damn it – Bright blue birds fly in the big blue sky – Bright blue birds fly in the big blue sky – Bright blue bir…_

My eyebrows furrowed. This one was evidently female who was either trying to memorize something or trying to distract herself from a love interest. I rolled my eyes. It was time to leave.

_Quiet! No thinking!_

_Silence! _

_Finally, approach, apprehend, capture!_

_Not a single thought!_

_Come up from the back…_

_Silence! Ha! He'll know anyway!_

My eyes widened – I could hear the three's silent approach – they _were not_ hikers. I ground my teeth and debated whether I wanted to face them or get the hell out. I breathed deeply and tried to reason out my present situation. It was time to run.

I shot like a bullet towards the north end of the forest. The world zoomed past me and I relished in the freedom and the thrill of being chased from behind. If they wanted a chase, hell, _I'll give them a chase!_

But then _she_ appeared out of the trees ahead – like she just evolved out of thin air.

I stopped, stupidly, only a couple of yards away from her. She had caught me so off guard. I did not know she was even there!

_Oh Edward… Edward Anthony Masen… Edward Anthony Masen Cullen…_ she thought smoothly.

My mouth dropped marginally, but I gritted my teeth and was about to bound forward past her, when I heard the first one come up from behind me. I already knew what he looked like from head to toe before I even turned around – thanks to the others thinking and viewing his movements for me.

He was the larger and slower one of the group – the one with the husky voice. He had spiky, sandy blond hair and eyebrows set in such a way that he looked like he was perpetually angry. I sidestepped his lunge for me, narrowly avoiding a brown-haired, mousey-faced female's grab for me at the same time. The last of the three coming from behind was a tall, sharp faced male with flaky black hair and too-pointy features. He tried to kick me in the stomach but I caught his foot, twisted it to the side, and threw it into the brown-haired female's abdomen beside him. She momentarily lost her balance, but regained herself quickly while I missed yet another dive for me from the bulky one. The brown-haired female moved around the tall male – trying to sneak up on me from the side – but I saw through her intentions and flung a kick to her face to her utter disbelief.

The whole thing was like a lethal dance. Every movement was so planned out and coordinated. They flung themselves at me – and bit, and scratched, and punched – while I missed each one of them in a mad flurry. I fought with blind passion and vigor, probably making more advances on them than they were on me. I was holding my own, hoping futilely that Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett could hear the commotion – unless they had already moved on. I was looking for an outlet, a break in their offenses so that I could start running, until –

_Smack!_

It was a blow to the back of my knees that I did not expect at all. High-pitched giggling could be heard from the _other_ female – and I knew it was her who had made the blow. I momentarily lost my balance, but all they needed was just a moment…

Powerful hands grabbed my shoulders, while another pair bound my hands securely behind my back. Finally, a third pair of hands wound themselves around my torso, despite all my attempts at evading them.

_Finally!_

_Dang – he was everywhere._

_Ha – we caught Edward Cullen!_

I would not show them that I was secretly panicking. My eyes widened, but I held my ground. Using all of my strength, I pushed against the three holding me, digging so hard into the ground with my feet that dirt and grass ripped up. They actually staggered slightly – I saw a glimmer of escape – until it evaporated before my eyes in a millisecond.

"Oh no, we mustn't have that!"

Her white hand swung forward and smacked me in the chest, flinging me backward so that I collided into the other three, who promptly latched themselves onto me again.

I growled – and gritted my teeth at her – _the other female_.

She was the one from yesterday – I could not believe it. Her features were unforgettable – small, compact, and pale. She looked so easy to defeat and control – but ah, appearances are not everything. Jane suddenly zoomed into focus in my mind's eye.

Her svelte frame inched closer to me strapped to the ground by, what were apparently her three cronies. In angry desperation, I lunged forward towards her, but I was held securely hunched over.

"Holy shit he's strong!" exclaimed the brown-haired female. "Especially coming from the diet he has!"

They all snickered simultaneously. I could not help but feel like I was a cow who had strayed from the herd and had then been caught by the ranchers. I snorted indignantly and continued to push against their weight in aggravation.

"Oh, he has spirit, this one -," said the mysterious blond-haired female. "You have something worth fighting for, don't you?"

I snarled menacingly and pushed still forward.

"Could you please hurry it up a bit?" said the lanky one with the shrill voice. "This is harder than it appears."

"I could make it way harder for you, Aaron," I said scathingly.

Aaron looked briefly taken aback – shocked that I could read through his mind, despite his endless repetition of sayings. In fact, I could already see through there little charade. They were repeating lines over in their heads to throw me off – but years of being able to invade the human mind allowed me to deduce things about characters from others thought's as well. Just because _he_ did not think about his name and standing did not mean his comrades did not either.

"Don't listen to him," said the blond female in control, her voice authoritative – her mind still disturbingly empty to me. "He's just going to try to manipulate his way out of the situation. In fact -"

The blond-haired female's hand reached to pull the backpack off of her back. I froze, already knowing what she had in mind based off the others' thoughts. I started speaking quickly now –

"Spirit of adventure Michelle? Is that what you _really_ want? Did you know that this little adventure could get ugly, even deadly for you?"

Michelle, the brown-haired female, managed to bark a laugh in my direction. "What's the point of an adventure if death is not involved?"

"But you see, Michelle, I know what you really want…"

There was no response, so I just babbled on as the one in charge continued to rummage through the knapsack, a sour expression on her face.

"Your adventure is to win valor for yourself and thus, a certain _prize_ to go along with that – is it not?"

It was so easy – just picking the right words was the trick. Then all their defenses drop like a domino stack – easy and plain for the mind to read.

_He can't know about the clan! I can't go back empty handed – I need to prove myself somehow – or else…_, she thought, panic twisting her mousey features.

"Or you, Cam – come on, you know she's just using you – quit fooling yourself," I said smoothly, sizing up the hulky looking male grabbing my torso. Distantly, I thought Emmett could take him down.

"Shut up," he growled low in my ear.

"She doesn't love you – to her, you are nothing more than her most obedient little pawn –"

In response, he crushed me lower to the ground – face almost hitting dirt – the others holding onto me lunging forward as well.

"Ah – here it is!" the blond-haired female said triumphantly. "And Cam – everyone – remember what I told you – he's just playing with your emotions. Ignore him."

She dropped her backpack to the ground and walked forward, something clanking in her hand.

I talked faster.

"Aaron – what's this worth to you anyway? You've always been treated like dirt your whole life. Would your father like this – to see his only son once again be the failure – weak – taking orders from others? Come on – the smart thing to do would just be to let me go right –"

I was met with a smack in the face.

"Oh Edward – can't you see you're just making this harder for yourself? You're not going to weasel your way out of this one – we were sent here _special_ for you."

The blond one twirled what was in her hand in front of my face.

_You know what this is for_, she thought._ It's time for the show to begin._

"Michelle – do you want her to take all the credit for this? You know you need to do something spectacular -," I started, running out of options.

"Did you know, Edward -," the girl interrupted, staring coolly at me. "- that your mouth is stronger than iron? And I mean that both figuratively and literally." She laughed, thinking she had said something awfully witty. "You have such a way with words don't you? And yet – you can bite through almost anything…"

She kneeled down so that she was eye level with me.

"That is why a regular gag wouldn't do much to shut you up – would it? But, here, I have something extra special – just for you."

I closed my mouth immediately and clenched my teeth – like a toddler refusing a spoonful of medicine.

She stood up and walked backwards slightly, twirling it in her hands. It was a thick chain of steel – woven more tightly than usual to allow little maneuverability.

"Just give up Edward – first we'll get you, and then I'm going to go get your precious 'Bella'".

I couldn't help myself. When she said her name, I lost all sense of my present predicament – lost all the arguments I was building up in my head – lost all of my plans of escape. Suddenly, it was just me and the small one – someone I knew I could crush in two seconds if I got my hands on her – make her pay for even _thinking_ her name…

"No!" I yelled, half mad, and using all my strength to dive for her.

However, I had forgotten to keep my mouth shut.

She moved faster than lightning – suddenly her hands were yanking my mouth wider than it already was from yelling – putting the steel chain far into the back of my mouth. Someone took the rest of the chain and held it firmly together behind me. I felt like I could gag – although, technically, I had no idea if I could. Another person was taking duct tape and wrapping it around my mouth to seal it completely shut. Layers upon layers of tape…

The blond female stepped back to evaluate her work, while the others readjusted their hold on me. I glared at the female and immediately began to chew on the chain. It was harder than I thought.

She grinned, enjoying herself. "I like you, Edward. Your blind passion is… endearing…"

She glanced up at the others holding me to the ground.

_He needs to stand up now. _

My eyes widened somewhat – surprised that this was the first _real_ thought I had gotten from her all night.

"Pull him to his feet," she commanded.

They did as they were told – lugging me roughly to my feet.

She walked toward me, slowly – as she did, the others held tighter onto me. Soon she was within inches of my face. I started pushing forward towards her again, but nobody was letting me go anywhere.

"Gold – interesting. I like that too – it goes well with your hair," she said softly. I blinked, realizing that she was talking about my eyes.

Suddenly, her hand was gently touching my face. It was cold – lifeless. I missed the warmth. I tried to shake her off, gritting my teeth in frustration.

"Hum – temper, temper." She sighed and snapped her fingers. Again I was pushed towards the ground – this time sitting on my knees.

_Could she make up her mind? How the hell am I going to get out of here?_

The female knelt down to my level again – way too close to my face. The urge to kill her was so strong, but I could not do anything. Stubbornly, I chewed harder on the chain and glared fiercely at her. She met my gaze evenly, looking more pleased with herself than anything else.

"I'm going to find out what is so amazing about her," she said softly, leaning in close to speak in my ear. "I guarantee you, I will. Humans are an insignificant speck. Their lives pass and fade in the changing of the seasons… But we are vampires - we are diamonds, Edward. We are forever."

I closed my eyes, trying to force myself to listen to the rational part of my brain – the part that was not mixed between utter terror, worry, and fierce aggression.

Then her ice cold hand was touching the duct tape where my lips were. My eyes opened abruptly as she began to slowly peel off the tape. The others held their breath. I did not like where their thoughts were going either.

_He is the deal after all…_, the blond female thought, a smile curling the edges of her mouth – her second true thought.

_Oh god – please no_…, I thought desperately as her ruby eyes focused on mine and she leaned in, the last of the tape sliding off across my lips. I turned away, only to be forced forward again by her hand under my chin.

"Forever," she whispered, her breath misting my skin. Abruptly, her lips were on mine, crushing me to her with more force than I thought possible. I could hear Cam stiffen, his thoughts – and suddenly, not just his but everyone's thoughts – becoming a wild blur. I tried to pull away, my lips unyielding, but I was being held in place by more than one pair of hands. Unable to fight, I just shutdown, unmoving – a statue – until she was done. Rage boiled beneath the surface of my skin as the girl ended the kiss with her lips pulling on my bottom lip. But what was worse than all of this – worse than me strapped to the ground – worse than her kiss – was this strange, sick longing in the pit of my stomach.

_I don't have to be careful with her – not like Bella. I could do anything I wanted to her. _

As soon as it was over, I ground my teeth on the chain and stared at her ferociously, wanting nothing more than to snap her fragile body in half.

Still only inches from me, the girl smiled sweetly, glowing almost, and watched my expression with a mixture of enjoyment and disappointment.

"Oh – I know you could do _much_ better than that. But, I suppose we'll have to save that little conversation for later – we'll have _plenty_ of time for that. In time, Edward, in time." She nodded to me, stood up, and flashed her eyes to the others behind me.

"Fix his mouth again," she ordered. "I don't want any screw-ups while I'm gone."

_Gone? Where was she going?_

Cam was the first to start re-taping my mouth – the others seeming to wear under the female's constant badgering. If only I could break their faith in their leader somehow – after all, it's a mystery these four were able to work together for so long. Besides my family and the Volturi, vampires do not do well in large groups.

"Now Edward, here is where I take my leave," the female said, her back turned to me as she picked up her knapsack once again. "But we will see each other soon, and everything will be as it should be. In the meantime," she stopped and looked at me, a sly smile on the edge of her lips. "In the meantime, I have a deadline to meet."

And with that, she withdrew a bright blue shirt, a pair of skin-tight dark navy blue-jeans, a stud belt, and a black, spiky-haired wig from her pack.

I watched in horror as the girl stripped off her own clothes, one by one, and slipped on each new item with grace and ease. I watched as the female disappeared and Alice materialized on the forest floor in front of me – with the exact same clothes I saw her in this morning. It was flawless – save her red, glowing eyes. Knowing Bella, however, she would never be able to tell the difference between the real Alice and the impostor.

In all my life – in all my incredibly _long_ life – I had never felt more human than I did right then. That must have been the definition of human… the way I felt right then – that _helplessness_ – that unforgettable feeling of inadequacy in comparison with all other things – that downright inferiority! The fact that, no matter what, you are not in control. You are left on the sidelines, watching. You are in the hands of fate – and fate… fate could be a cruel judge.

I could do nothing this time. I was held to the ground, staring unblinkingly as the female waved to me and glided across our group to the southern end of the field. And I watched in utmost futility as she dissolved back into the forest. My head was swimming – nothing made sense! I wanted to blackout and not think, but I was all too awake. The floor was falling beneath me, but I could not fall with it. No – I was permanent and unchanging. I couldn't fall, I couldn't flinch, I couldn't think – I couldn't feel, or hurt, or need anything.

I couldn't do _anything_.

Suddenly I was choking on the chain inside my mouth – _choking!_ Was that possible? I did not know why, but I could feel my lips burning under the tape, my face contorting and changing into something I, at first, did not recognize. My eyebrows deepened and my eyes felt swollen, like they were going to fall out of their sockets. Indeed, it felt like I needed to suck in oxygen, but in retaliation to this need I just bit down harder on the chain, the metal clanking against my teeth. I didn't need to breathe – what was the point? I was what I was.

It wasn't until they all formed a circle around me, did I realize what was happening to me.

I was – I was _crying_.

The expression was so foreign to me, made even more so by the lack of tears on my face, that I had to dredge up a memory from my former life to even remember the feeling:

_The rain was pouring and the streets were filled with a mist that reflected the faint rays of the oil streetlamps. Cobblestones still paved the way for many late travelers during the darkening hours before sunset. Despite Chicago's reputation in 1908 as an expanding industrial town, it was still traditional in many ways – including the prompt return home of businessman and artisans alike in the waning hours of day. In the rush to get home, nobody took notice of the boy lying in the middle of the street, forgotten and shaking in a muddy puddle._

_Someone approached from an alleyway to the left side of the boy. The boy's head flicked upward with momentary interest and alarm, but abruptly hung low again on his shoulders. Sulking. _

_The figure moved towards the boy with concealed fluidity and utmost care. The figure was female, with a slight, tight build reflected in her stride. When the woman reached the boy on the road, she crouched to his level, arms on her knees, and her rain coat draping around her like a dress into the puddle. _

_"What are you doing here?" the woman asked the boy. The boy remembered that the woman's voice was usually strong like a general giving orders in the army. He could still hear a hint of that commanding sound, but after saying the one little sentence, the voice sounded more like a mixture of relief and worry. _

_The boy didn't answer – just stared at the dirt that was caked underneath his fingernails, stained into his pants and jacket, and molded into his tousled hair. _

_The woman sighed, her voice now strained. "Where have you been? Your father will be home soon. What do you think he'll say about this?" _

_The boy, again, refused to answer. Instead, he bit his lip and tried to cease the insidious tears flowing up into his eyes. His father wouldn't be happy, that's for sure._

_"I've been looking for you for hours – what happened to you? Please, please tell me what happened," the voice implored, seemingly on the verge of tears herself. Her arm extended until it was rubbing the back of the boy in the puddle. _

_The boy shook his head. He couldn't tell her what happened. How could he? It was too brutal and even more embarrassing – one more reason why he was weak. How could he tell her that the Richard boys threw the baseball into his eye today and then proceeded to pummel him into the ground again? How could he tell her that her son's lanky body was useless in battle – that he couldn't even stick up for himself even if his life depended on it? _

_"Why won't you talk? Please, talk," she crooned again. _

_He shook his head once more, his shoulders shaking until his whole body began to convulse. Fat tears rolled down his cheeks and each time he wiped one tear off his cheek, another would follow in its wake._

_Suddenly, there was a pulling under the boy's chin – his head jerked upward until he was staring into the woman's eyes – a crystal emerald that pierced straight into his heart. Even in the rain, her strange copper hair fanned her face like something out of a painting. And as Elizabeth Mansen stared at her son, she too took in his disarrayed bronze hair that turned whichever way, no matter what they tried to do to control it, and his own bright green eyes that were now softened after his recent onslaught of tears. It was odd how so alike and yet so different they were from each other. She too noted his black and blue right eye, his scraped left cheek, and the mud that dotted his face like freckles. His nose wrinkled as he closed his eyes and tried to look away. She held him still. _

_"It was the Richard boys, wasn't it? Look at me," she said quietly. _

_He only gritted his teeth. _

_"Look at me!" she said now, more sharply. _

_Reluctantly, his eyes propped open to look at her. She gazed as fiercely as she could back at him. _

_"Listen, and listen well! Don't ever go wandering without telling me where you are going again – you had me worried sick! Do you understand me?"_

_He merely nodded, or what resembled a nod since her hand was still under his chin. _

_"And – I won't tell your father what happened, if that's what you wish," she said curtly. The boy's eyes widened in astonishment. _

_"But you must promise me something," she said, her voice somber and contemplative. "You know, I won't always be there for you. I want to protect you from everything, but I can't. I simply can't. Life is harsh, cruel, and long. You must be able to stick up for yourself when the time comes…"_

_The boy shook his head, harder this time. Couldn't she see that he _couldn't_ fight? That he was simply unable (and unwilling) to do so? How could she expect him to be able to defend himself? _

_"And I don't mean stick up for yourself in perhaps the way you're thinking now," Elizabeth said, almost like she could read his thoughts plain on his face. "What I mean is, you must promise, _promise_ that you will never give up – that you will never give up the will to live. I don't want you to keep trying to please everyone, the way you do all the time – that is impossible. I want you to proceed through life defiantly and unafraid. Sure, there are some frightening__times, but as long as you get passed those, you'll always know that a good time is up ahead. I want you to promise me that you'll never give up and nothing more." _

_The seven-year-old eyed her carefully, something coming over him like the trickle of warm bath water across his skin. Suddenly, he understood what she meant – he could see _her _point of view of the world. All she was asking of him was, whether he lost bitterly or won triumphantly, he would give his best at everything and never lose sight of hope. Hope, he could see now, was all that kept this world going. Hope was the most human emotion there is. _

"_Yes mother – I promise," he said softly, the tears stopping their persistent flow. _

_"Good – now let's get you cleaned up," she said and helped her son up to his feet. She kissed his scraped cheek and planted a few butterfly kisses on his nose which produced a reassuring giggle from the boy. "I will always be with you," she murmured into his ears and poked her finger into his chest by his heart. "I love you so much Edward."_

She fought until the end – protected me until the end. Even when I almost gave up – broken my promise in the hospital – she came to the rescue. She gave me another chance.

I was crying for two people now. I was crying at the resurrection of a so long forgotten memory. I was crying because I knew, this time, I was not going to give up. I was going to live up to be the protector I had always strived for – the protector that the two of them had always been to me without even realizing it.

My eyes opened – I had not even noticed that they were shut – and I glared upward at the three people strapping me down on the ground, studiously ignoring my shaking frame. Aaron had thick chains in his hands that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Michelle and Cam held me down as Aaron twisted the chain around my wrists. I did not fight, just stared ahead – calculating. I remembered what I saw in Alice's vision and with a slight twinge I discovered that this was it – no use denying it. I knew though that if I complied, I would be taken directly to where Bella soon would be, instead of trying to escape and find her on my own. I sniffed the air and concentrated. I did not need to open my eyes to know that Michelle had suddenly moved from behind me to in front of me.

"What do you know about the clan?!" shouted Michelle at me.

"Michelle…" warned Aaron.

"Shut up you weasel!" she barked. "He can't know anything about this – how could he?"

Her thoughts indicated her bewilderment. I opened my eyes and gazed up at her, one eyebrow rising.

_Couldn't she see I was strapped to the ground and gagged like a stuffed pig?_

"I want to know!" she said. "Let's take off his gag."

She raised her hand and was darting toward me, when Cam stopped her.

"Wait!" he shouted. "Remember, we can't listen to him – he tells nothing but lies."

Michelle's mouth quivered, bemusement crossing her features. "I thought I was doing so well – I thought, I thought…"

_I thought I was blocking my mind from _him_. _

I almost smiled, but the tape on my mouth prevented me from doing so. I could sense Michelle's frustration. The truth was _nobody_ could truly block their mind. Except, apparently, two people…

Now Michelle's arm was shivering. I could see the punch before she even did it. I dodged her as her fist flew passed me, only inches from the side of my face.

"Ugh!" she roared and lunged for me as Cam twisted around from behind me to stop her.

"Stop that! You _know_ Eliza and Victoria made a deal! She's going to be pissed if you do anything more to him!"

_Eliza – that was her name._ It was the first time I had heard the blond-female's name either in thought or aloud. It shocked me that even _Cam_ could keep her name locked up for this long. But immediately I felt like this name was a lifesaver that had been thrown my way.

_Eliza. I know your name. I'm coming for you and I'll find out what you are up to._

Someone wrapped a blindfold around me, but I did not care. I did not care as I was again pulled roughly to my feet. I did not care as someone prodded me forward by the small of my back. And I tried not to care as Bella's lifeless body strapped to a chair kept invading my thoughts.

I breathed heavily through my nose, our pace picking up through the forest. The three jumped at the noise, tightening their grip on me – thinking I was going to run.

Little did they know that the vision of Bella had made my decision as protector more absolute. I could feel the presence of a darkening sky around me, even though I was not looking at it. I bit into the chain and one of the links broke.

_I'm coming for you Eliza. _

_And then I'll kill you._

--

_**AN: **__Hey guys! Finally finished – I know I've taken awhile – as you can tell by my former comment (it's freaking HOT here now for your information. I mean like butt-sticking-to-leather hot and water leaking out your pores hot). I'm happy to say that school is coming to a close so I'll probably have more time to update – hopefully. This was an _exceedingly_ fun chapter to write by the way – although not as long as others. XD Edward's point of view is intriguing to write about – and also very hard. Hopefully he's as in-character as possible._

_Also – about the "amaranth" that Edward was referring to earlier. A real amaranth flower is actually purple-reddish in color – I know that. What he is talking about are amaranth flowers featured in mythology and legend. They are imaginary, immortal flowers. Basically, he's comparing his emotions for Bella to the flower. ) _

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank everyone for keeping up with this lagging story and commenting. Again, those comments are encouraging and great motivators for me to keep writing! So please – for those of you who have just started reading _Gravity_, before favoriting or gagging at my lameness, please comment why you either like or dislike this story. It helps me grow as a writer. Critiques are open and welcome._

_Thank you guys again!! Can't wait for August! ;D _


	12. Another Story

_**Author's Note: **__Ah, summer. The time for movies, bowling, sleeping in, college searches, and continual bouts of obsession over your Wii console. Also, a great time to read, chilax, stress over the inconsequential things while looking for a job, and, perhaps more importantly, to write! I know I've been a slow updater (and that is probably why most of my subscribers have lost interest in my story while there are so many other great stories out there) but I'm hoping that I'll be able to update faster with the upcoming chapters since it's less filler and more of the juicy stuff (at least, I'd like to think so). __**[Please look at my author's note at the end for a more recent comment!]**__ Anyway, on with the show! This next chapter is a continuation of the previous _Another Side…_, but instead of Edward's point of view it is in _**Jacob's point of view**_ – so __**don't be confused**__! Hope you enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: **__All characters and rights of _Twilight_, _New Moon_, and _Eclipse_ belong to Stephenie Meyer alone and not to me whatsoever. _

… **Another Story**

I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

It wasn't like the nausea type of sick you get typical of the stomach-flu – nor was it the kind of painful sick I felt after going to the movies with Bella the day… well, the day I figured out that all the myths revolving around my life were true. Instead, it was the kind of sick, instinctual, almost butterfly feeling one gets when they're unsure about something…

The kind of feeling you get when you know something is definitely _wrong_.

The weather was as usual as anything you could get in Washington. It was a nice, almost cheery morning – but by the afternoon the clouds were already rolling in from the west – following Bella as I watched her nonchalantly walk towards the silver Volvo right in front of her. But as I watched, I knew something reeked of _wrong_.

I had no idea why my insides rolled and why my body trembled as soon as I laid eyes on the car. I figured it was just what the car had come to represent for me – everything and anything relating to what I have sworn to stop. And the fact that I pretty much hated the guts of the guy who sat in the driver's seat. But, no, there was something else – and as I turned away from the car and walked slowly around the bend in the road, it began to dawn on me.

The smell was off.

Sure, it was still that awful, sick sweet that made me gag internally. But this – this was uncommonly sweet – a thick sweet. It was like walking through a perfume aisle while everything was on sale. Too much – way too much – and also vaguely familiar…

Then there was the car itself. Hadn't Bella just said the car was totaled yesterday after the crash? The hairs on the back of my neck rose. I stopped and sidestepped into the woods, my mind whirling. Of course there was no-denying the Cullen's financial capabilities – but, hey, come on. A crash like the one Bella described? Even if _I _worked on the car from dawn until dusk it would still be in the shop for at least a week or probably wouldn't even be reparable at all… Unless –

_Unless they somehow got an identical car in less than twenty-four hours._

Were the Cullen's able? Sure_._

Would they do it – after everything that happened the night before? For some reason, that seemed unlikely – even for them.

Before I even realized what was happening, I was lolloping on four legs with my clothes wrapped around my ankle after the car. The bad feeling was not going away – I had to – _needed _to – make sure Bella was safe.

It only took two seconds for the badgering to begin.

_Jake – what the hell are you doing?_

I groaned mentally and ignored him.

_Jake, if you keep going you _know_ I'm going to have to bring Sam into this! Seriously – stop – this is ridiculous. _

I narrowed my eyes but proceeded on. I wasn't going to chicken-shit my way out of this, even if Sam was going to get involved.

_Jake – are you listening to me? _

_Would you shut up Quil?_ I thought snappily. Ever since Quil became one of the pack, he had become an obsessed man. He loved the action – he loved the chase – he loved the abilities. Part of me believed that he thought he was some-sort of parading superhero. But, for whatever he thought of himself, it was nothing compared to the idolizing way he worshipped Sam. And I knew that, despite being long-time friends with Quil, chain of command meant everything to him.

_Please Jake – I don't want to turn you in, but you have to be realistic here. You could start a war! Don't do it. _

_God dammit Quil – would you just leave me alone?_ I was rounding the bend where I left Bella just in time to see the Volvo turn around and head back into Forks. Cautiously, I neared the boundary line that ran right in front of me where I stood in the forest. Why, despite everything I wanted to do, was I still questioning whether to cross the line?

_Man – it's just an imaginary line._

Then it hit me. An _imaginary_ line. The line that I believed to be totally fictitious until a couple months ago. Wasn't it, even now, just some mythic creation? Was this all that was separating Bella and me – a _stupid line_? Without a second thought, I crossed the line I had done so many times before without thinking. No more did I think about what my actions may or may not cause.

Silently I moved through the woods. The wind rushed past me, flattening my ears to my head and whipping my tail behind me. Never would I get tired of the speed – or the freedom. I could focus on one thing and drown out everything else. It was my one respite in a world of never-ending problems.

As I zoomed past the trees, I could see the car nearing up ahead. I could also see something else –

He_ wasn't_ driving the car.

Instead, it was the petite one – the one with the weird, short, spiky black hair. The leech who could tell the future. Lucky for me, she couldn't see _my_ future. I smirked as I continued to get closer to the car.

Apparently the bloodsucker was doing all the talking. Bella seemed to be sitting there in shock of what was being said. I wish I could _hear_ what was being said.

_Jake._

Oh shit.

_Jake – I know you can hear me. _

There have been several times over the past couple months where I have tried to shut the others' thoughts out of my head as well as my own thoughts out of their heads. Unfortunately for me, I suck at holding back my emotions. I'm pretty sure Sam understood what I wanted without me thinking in a clear sentence: _To get the hell out of my head_.

_You had better have a pretty good reason for crossing the line Jacob. You know what we've all been through to stay true to the treaty…_

_Jake – it's Embry – come on. I'm sure Bella will be fine._

_We'll get the Cullen's some other time Jake_, Quil thought this time. _We – well – we really need an actual plan until we cross into their territory. _

_Exactly_. Sam's voice changed from authoritative to more concerned. _I mean, look at what happened last night Jacob. If you want the girl to be safe, you should be more worried about the red-head leech and the one we saw last night – in fact, I want to – _

But I suddenly wasn't listening to their discussion anymore. I almost knocked into a tree – and my stomach was free-falling. When the others saw what happened through my eyes, it became absurdly quiet in my head. I slowed my run down until I was following the car unseen and at an easy, tracking pace. It was my turn to contribute to the conversation.

_Guys? Did you just see what I saw? _

_Shit_, was all Quil was thinking.

Immediately, I was thinking back to the previous conversation with Bella that day…

_"What? The car _flipped_ over?" _I had said.

_"Yeah - but it wasn't Edward being stupid or anything. No – we were flipped over by someone else… a vampire, but not like the Cullen's. She was really tiny, with this white-blond hair and red eyes. And despite how little she was, she was able to grab the entire car with us in it and toss us to the side like a piece of trash. And afterwards, she, more than anything else, scared the hell out of me."_

_"And she was the one we saw last night too?" _

_"Exactly." _

I could tell Sam was listening astutely to all the memories that flashed before my eyes of that day with Bella. It was creepy how I could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he thought out strategies, plans, what we had to do…

Because everything had changed when the bloodsucker took off the wig to reveal herself as the same girl Bella was talking about… the bolt of lightning we chased last night…

And it became personal when she stun-gunned Bella so that I could see her lying lifeless in the front-seat.

The anger that I had been trying so hard to control in the past months bubbled over until I could barely concentrate on what I was doing. If I was human right then, there would have been no doubt I would have exploded into a wolf. There was nothing that could have restrained me. Luckily I didn't have to think – my mind was so muddled with overflowing emotion and rage that I couldn't think straight, let alone rationally. Sam was suddenly there – my eyes, my ears, my thoughts:

_Jacob – I want you to track her. I have a feeling this is all related – this one is going to take us to the red-haired one. Stay far enough behind the car so that she can't smell or hear you. Your job is to be _silent _and to _track_ – nothing more. Don't do anything stupid Jacob! I know what you're thinking – don't let your emotions get a hold of you!_

It was a good thing that he had ordered that – the mental picture of ambushing the car from behind was so tempting, so alluring… and tearing that parasite to shreds was the best part. But in the long run, it was impractical and stupid. We would never be able to find out the other's hideout and the red-haired leech responsible for the whole dilemma. Plus, I realized with a jolt, that if I was to stop the car, it would be Bella's second car crash in twenty-four hours.

_We're coming after you Jake – I'm assembling the rest of the pack as we speak. Just don't lose the car! _

I nodded, focusing on the car and using all my strength not to freak out as I watched the leech reach across the passenger's seat and lithely toss Bella's body in the backseat. There it would be concealed to all oncoming traffic. A low growl emanated from my throat.

And it was answered by another deep snarl somewhere in the woods.

The air was suddenly dense with sweet.

_Jake – someone's tailing you!_ Embry called into my thoughts, amidst the pack's rambling minds as the rest of them popped suddenly into existence.

_Keep following the car Jake – that's your main priority – try to lose whoever it is! _Sam ordered, increasing his running pace to catch up with me.

My eyebrows furrowed in concentration as I gazed around the darkening forest. I could hear the other following me from behind. For the strangest reason, I had to briefly admire the blond-hair one holding Bella captive – she had thoroughly thought this thing through. After last night and after seeing me with Bella today, she knew I'd follow at any cost. And she kept a sentry waiting for me. Clever bloodsucker.

_But it's no match for me. _

I turned and dodged simultaneously just as the leech leaped out of the shadows at me, teeth barred.

_Go for the sides Jake! Focus there!_ Sam was suddenly shouting. The rest of the pack was growling and shouting too, imagining there own maneuvers. I tried to suppress their thoughts, focusing instead on my own strategies and skills.

Something about the leech was strange. It seemed young – far too young – as compared to the other parasites I've seen. Between snaps and dodges, I gazed intently at its features – obviously male – unusually crimson eyes – babyish looking face – brown hair that stopped at its shoulders. It looked no more than thirteen or fourteen. How long was this guy a bloodsucker?

_Watch it – watch it – WATCH IT! _Sam was cautioning.

It was fast, moving behind me in an instant. But I was expecting it.

_NICE ONE! _Quil roared boisterously as I whipped around and sunk my teeth into its shoulder and ripped its arm off. The leech's howl of rage pierced the forest like razors.

_You know what would be funny? _Jared thought.

_What? _Embry replied.

_If Jake picked up the arm and started slapping the bloodsucker with its own defenses!_

Jared's mental picture of me running around the leech with the arm in my mouth distracted me. The packs answering snickers of amusement drowned out all the other sounds.

_Would you guys shut up?! If you haven't noticed, it's a little pissed!_ I yelled, when the bloodsucker took my momentary distraction to try to take a chunk out of my elbow with its teeth. I swerved just in time.

Sam was annoyed. _Don't lose the car Jake! It's getting away! Why do you think she set him here? He's a distraction – nothing else – so you don't follow –_

_I got it okay!_ I growled, wheeling around until I was again zigzagging through the trees to catch up with the speeding car, now a couple of miles ahead. The bloodsucker saw my intentions and sped to catch up. We were suddenly dancing together through the trees and leaves – each of us trying to cut the other off.

_I think you're going to have to take it down now,_ Paul mused, his teeth clamping down. I knew that he was itching to participate.

_Jake – here's what you're going to have to do,_ Sam reasoned, understanding my predicament. _You're going to have to take off its head. That's the only way it'll stop for any length of time. Shortly we'll be where you are so we can burn the rest of the remains – don't lose the car!_

_Easier said than done_, I thought in monotone as I moved amongst the trees. Eyeing the area, I noticed a huge tree whose thick branches occupied a vast area around the forest, approaching me from the right. A thought occurred to me at that moment as I changed course and started to run directly towards the tree.

_Huh, I guess that couldn't hurt,_ Sam thought, regarding the situation.

_Whatever works, _was my response.

Just as I had hoped, the bloodsucker behind me changed course until it was right behind me, thinking I was stupid enough to run straight into a tree. Yeah right.

The tree was getting closer and I wasn't slowing down. I could hear the bloodsucker behind me backpedaling – trying to slow down. Despite this, it was still following. Just what I wanted.

Right before my nose scrapped against the trunk of the tree, I sidestepped to the left just in time, my speed barely decreasing. As soon as my turn was complete, I seized the nearest thick branch in my mouth, careful not to break it, and pulled it back against the trunk – a coiled snake ready to strike…

Just as I thought, the leech was paying little attention to what I did and was concentrating more on trying to control its speed and agility in order to dodge the tree. As it was rounding the corner right behind me, I released the branch.

There was a sound like a gunshot explosion as the branch broke off the tree when the leech ran straight into it. Although I wouldn't deny that fact that it would have been awesome if the sucker's head had fallen off in the whiplash of the tree branch, like something out of the movies, it was just unfeasible – the thing was as hard as granite! I didn't wait around to see its reaction though – no matter how entertaining it could have been. I ran as quickly as I could around the tree just when the parasite snapped out of its transitory stupor.

The distraction was all I needed – its back was unguarded.

_YEAH!_ Quil shouted victoriously, as I pinned the monster's shoulders to the ground and began to snap angrily at its neck – it made a sound like scrapping metal. The bloodsucker started to shriek in terror – fumbling to get off the ground – but I wasn't having it. My whole weight was on it and after a mere ten seconds, its head rolled lazily to the side.

_Jake – trap the body somewhere!_ Sam ordered.

Jumping off the body, I leaned and picked it up in my mouth. Without so much as a second thought, I walked it over to the tree, threw my head back, and launched it into the tree branches. It sailed twenty feet into the air until it was trapped up in the canopy. I sniggered to myself as I stepped back and watched its one arm flail wildly in confusion.

_Jake – we're almost there – we'll take care of it. Get to the car! _

Without a second glance, I shot back through the woods, already about five minutes behind the car. I put on as much speed as I was capable of. I smiled, knowing I could go as fast as I wanted – but a car was limited in more ways than one.

After about two minutes of empty road, I saw the silver car appear in the distance. My stomach dropped as I watched the car take the turn off towards the freeway – away from Forks.

_This is bad guys – really bad – I could be seen,_ I worried.

_Follow to the right of the car – stay in the woods off the road – shouldn't be too hard,_ Sam said.

_No – but has it occurred to you that it could change lanes and take a turn-off going in the completely opposite direction? There's no wood cover if something like that happens and – Sam? Guys? No wait! Don't freak – it's the Cullen's! I recognize the scent! STOP!_

I could see the rest of the pack nearing the boundary line, all of their noses squished in disgust, and their ears flat against their heads. The smell was stifling, even though I was more familiar with it than the rest of the pack. As they rounded the bend in the road, where I was not more than fifteen minutes ago, they were in for an impressive gathering.

_They could be here to start a war Jacob – have you ever thought of that? _Paul snapped, the pack closing in the distance between the two forces.

_No -_, I replied, confused by the Cullen's stance. Something was off._ I think it's something else. _

There they were – all of them – standing in a horizontal line that ran parallel to the boundary line. At the forefront was their apparent leader – with blond hair and compassionate eyes. Flanking him on either side was the other slightly darker blonde, his features rigid and expression controlled, something deep in his eyes conveying annoyance, and the small, spiky-haired female – the fortuneteller. Something about her disturbed me. Her doll-like face was shaped in such a way as to always look perky, but her expression didn't match the shape. It was dark and, almost, _frustrated_ looking. Like a deranged wind-up doll out of a _Chucky_ movie.

The rest of them stood on either side of the three at the front – a caramel brunette female, a hauntingly angelic female blonde, and a buff male. But as I took in the image through the pack's eyes, I noticed something startling –

_He _wasn't there.

The hairs on the back of my neck bristled and I stared cautiously around my present surroundings. I was edging the forest, preparing to cross the road as the car turned left onto the freeway entrance ramp. I sucked in some breath.

_The car's heading north – just where we thought the other's hideout was initially._

_Just keep following the car – at least _we _have something that these guys don't, _Sam replied mutely, trying to control his jittery body as he approached the Cullen's aligned sullenly on the road. _And keep a look out for the bronze-haired leech – he's not here,_ Sam added roughly. _He could be following. _

_He's not – Bella said he was… supposed to be with his "brothers" today. The rest of the brothers are there. _

_Huh,_ was all I got in return.

The car was going down the ramp now, and I struggled to stay hidden in the forest. I had crossed the road – twice now – and the low shrubs at the beginning of the ramp forced me to crouch. The rest of the pack was getting antsy – especially Paul who was trembling with anger. Quil seemed to be jumping on all fours. Sam seemed the most in control.

_Sam – jeez – you're going to have to be human. I think they want to talk,_ I explained remotely.

_Sadly, I don't know how much I can control myself. _

Abruptly, something calm washed over me – a warm, comforting sensation that was hard to explain. It affected not only me, but, evidently, the whole pack as well. Even Paul seemed to be lulled into his own private bubble. I watched numbly as the leader, the blond one in the front, stepped easily towards the pack, careful not to cross the boundary line.

"Greetings," he said, overtly formal. "I am Carlisle and this –" he gestured behind himself. "– is the rest of my family. We have come to you today with some troubling news."

_Troubling – huh? _Paul thought, but he didn't snort like I would imagine him doing. We all seemed too relaxed – almost relaxed against our will.

"We are not here to start a fight," the one called Carlisle reassured. "We just want to talk – if one of you could…"

I could hear Sam groan mentally, but he nodded infinitesimally in the Cullen's direction. With that, he bolted into the woods and his presence left my mind. I switched point-of-views until I settled on looking through Embry's timid eyes at the scene before them.

Sam emerged out of the forest wearing nothing more than a pair of sweat pants. He strode across the pack until he was in front of us. His features were hard, but he seemed in control enough to speak. As I stared, I got the impression that he could take down all of the Cullen's easily – except maybe the muscle-y one at the end – since he was clearly the tallest. He took a breath and immediately got down to business.

"You're missing one," he said.

"So you've noticed," spat the fortuneteller.

Sam eyed her darkly.

"Alice -," the one called Carlisle threatened. "This isn't the time." He turned back to Sam. "Yes, Edward is missing. And, as I think you already know, so is Bella. Alice told me that one of your pack members took her from the mall today."

Sam jerked his chin towards Alice. "Shouldn't _she_ already know where Bella is?"

For some reason, Alice nearly exploded – and I realized that Sam had triggered the source of her frustration.

"What do you think I've been trying to do for the past two hours?!" she hissed, scowling. "I came immediately here first with Esme -," she flipped her hand impatiently to the soft looking, caramel colored brunette next to her, "- looking for Bella – she'd already crossed the line so I couldn't just come and take her home. And her future was already wiped from my mind because _one of you_ was around her all the whole time! So, what do I do? I go home ready to tear my hair out waiting for Bella to call or Edward to come home first. _He_ was going to go berserk! But no – Esme and I come home to Rosalie, Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett -," she pointed to each one as she said their names, "- already talking about Edward somehow disappearing during their trip. Next thing I know, I keep seeing this log cabin in the woods around the edges of my mind. Please tell me that Bella is here with you. Please tell me -," she struggled to say the next part, "- please tell me Jacob has her somewhere."

I gulped as I stared forward at the metallic car heading north.

_Well – I have her somewhere,_ I thought meekly.

Paul snickered.

Sam frowned at Alice, clearly not wanting to answer. Instead he turned back to Carlisle.

"So he disappeared, huh? You can't be more specific?"

Carlisle opened his mouth to reply but was cut off when Alice suddenly obtained this glassy-eyed look. She bit her lip and then whispered something very softly to Carlisle that Embry couldn't hear.

_What did she say?_ I demanded.

None of the pack heard. I snorted and continued running between the trees, car in sight.

I watched as Sam raised an eyebrow in their direction, and Carlisle sighed.

"Well, apparently, Alice just saw what happened to Edward – although it has already happened – which is odd in her case. She thinks someone is playing with the holes in her vision," he said.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm sorry; could you explain that, from beginning to end?"

Before Carlisle could reply, Alice cut him off again. "We came here only to know what happened to Bella and nothing more. Once you tell us, we'll be on our merry way."

_Not a good idea,_ Paul thought. The rest of the pack nodded their assent, although Sam was out of the loop.

"Actually," Sam replied, "How about you tell _us_ everything, and then we'll be on _our_ merry way?"

"Listen you -" Alice began, but Carlisle interceded.

"Stop, stop. This is getting us nowhere. I think that today we _both_ need to put aside our differences and work together."

I barked a laugh at that. He sounded like the captain at a soccer game.

Sam grinned. "I don't think you remember, but the ways of the universe don't allow werewolves to work together with parasites such as yourselves."

"I don't like this Carlisle," said the other blond male, Jasper I think, speaking for the first time. "How can we trust them?"

"We must," Carlisle said. "We both have information the other needs."

Esme nodded next to Alice, seeming to accept this. The rest of the Cullen's looked horrified.

"Carlisle, I can't see what will happen if we involve them. We don't know how many there are – one of them -," Alice eyed the pack – counting possibly? "- is already involved in this. I can't see what's going on in the cabin. I think the only reason I can _see_ the cabin now is because Edward's future is already there."

"But with all of us _combined_ – can't you see the possibilities?" Carlisle mused.

"I can't see _anything_," Alice fumed.

Carlisle ignored her. "Listen, we'll tell you what happened, if you give us an account of what happened on your side of the line. I think that is a fair deal."

Sam looked thoughtful for a second, and then replied, "Give us a moment."

The second he was in the woods, his voice appeared in our heads again.

_I think it is a good idea_, I said quickly. _We need them, they need us, we could both benefit. The other bloodsuckers have one of ours and one of the Cullen's. _

_Um, Jake – if you haven't noticed, _she's _not one of us anymore. She's been hanging out with leeches!_ Paul exclaimed.

_Bella's still human,_ Embry chimed in. _And she's nice. She deserves our help. _

_Yeah – she's pretty tough to be hanging out with rocks,_ Quil grinned.

_Guys! _Sam silenced everyone. _I think Jake is right. _

_What?! You can't be serious? What about the treaty?! _Paul shouted, appalled.

_The treaty is going to have to be temporarily voided. Otherwise, an alliance between our kinds can never be formed. _

_An alliance? No way,_ Jared's head shook.

_It's the only way – to save the girl and to get rid of the trespassers at the same time. _Sam sighed, clearly aggravated with this choice. _Well, let's get this over with. _

Sam left and I looked on at the Cullen's through Embry again. Paul was growling and Jared was stiff. But nobody went against Sam's decision. I noticed that the Cullen's were also having there own group discussion. The blond female, Rosalie, although whispering, looked as though she was shouting voraciously at Carlisle. She seemed to be the only one with doubts – the rest looked complacent enough. Carlisle waved her away as soon as Sam appeared in human form in the clearing.

"Well?" he asked politely.

"We will agree to a temporary alliance, in exchange for any information you have on the situation," Sam said smoothly.

"Agreed – of course, you will tell us what happened to your pack as well?" Carlisle inquired.

Sam nodded. "You first."

Carlisle took a breath, but suddenly the big, curly brown-haired guy was in the way. Emmett?

"You want to know what happened to Edward first?" he asked, his expression serious.

Sam shrugged. "Let's just go from beginning to end."

Emmett nodded once and began, "Jasper, Carlisle, Edward, and I were out looking for big game today close to Olympic park -" he ignored the pack when they visually cringed, knowing everything that that entailed, "- and we weren't out for very long. Edward – seemed distracted. Actually, I don't think he was really 'with' us for any part of the day – and I couldn't blame him considering –"

"Anyway," Jasper interrupted, giving Emmett a warning look. "Edward wanted to go home early. The rest of us agreed. Next thing we know, this guy -," he jabbed a finger at Emmett who was grinning, "- comes across the scent of one of the other's we chased last night. I'm assuming Bella told one of your pack members the whole ordeal, or must I explain it?"

"We know what happened," Sam replied coolly, inclining his head for the two of them to continue.

"Good. It was the blond female we encountered last night. Emmett was about to bolt off by himself until I felt his intentions," he explained.

"Felt?" Sam asked.

I snorted. I remembered the day Bella told me about the Cullen's special gifts. I thought this guy's was the weirdest. Although the rest of the pack remembered with me, Sam had no idea. I realized then who was causing us all to feel relaxed before.

"Yes – I – I can feel what people are feeling…" he seemed reluctant to go on. "Anyway, the three of us followed the trail until we reached a clearing. The clearing had Edward's scent all over it – as well as Bella's, but it was much older and faded. There were also three others' scents that I didn't recognize. We were able to determine that there was a struggle – but –"

"He was captured?" Sam finished.

"Yep," Emmett said grimly. "We followed the trail for about five miles, but it ended at a road. There was a car there."

"We went home and Alice shared her story with us," Carlisle said. "We all thought it best to come here first, to get Bella safe before Edward. And now, I think it's your turn to explain, since you know what happened to us last night."

Sam exhaled slowly and nodded. "Well, you weren't the only one's to have an ordeal the night before…"

"Oh?"

And then Sam went through the grueling task of explaining how the pack followed the blond female last night as well (we concluded that she must have crossed over the boundary line and that's why the Cullen's lost her and we took up the trail), my "kidnap" of Bella at the mall, and Bella's capture when "Alice" came to pick her up (the real Alice appearing astonished at this part), and the fact that I was following the car right now. Sam also mentioned the vampire run-in I had along the way and the fact that we had to get to the body before it reassembled itself.

"I'll go take care of that," Emmett offered, a look of dark pleasure crossing his features.

The blond female hissed in his direction.

Carlisle grimaced, but nodded, "You and Rosalie can go and burn the remains, but come back here as soon as you're done; we've got to create a plan."

I barely paid attention as the two Cullen's left the clearing. The rest of the pack became a soft voice in the back of my head, separate and detached – because just then the silver car swerved to the right, getting ready for the next exit ramp. My heart leapt.

_She must be getting close – she must be nearing the others!_ I thought ecstatically. The run was starting to get long and disorienting – what with having to track the car, pay attention to my surroundings, and listen to the whole conversation with the Cullen's at the same time. The only thing I wanted to do was get to Bella and to destroy the others in the process. The urge to sink my teeth into the others throats and rip them apart was so strong, my teeth clenched audibly. I'd make them pay for all they did to her.

_Guys – get Sam's attention. I'm getting off the freeway – the exit is really obscure. It's near the Canadian border too, just like we thought. I saw a sign for border patrol up ahead. The road name is "Hill Pass". _

Embry was the first to react. He strode up to Sam and nudged him gently in the shoulder. Sam turned and stared at Embry momentarily, nodded once, and spun his head around to face the Cullen's again.

"I think Jake's getting close," Sam explained. "We're going to need to hurry with these plans."

At that point, I tried my best to ignore the rest of the pack's discussion with the Cullen's as best I could, putting all my focus and determination into the task ahead of me. I was only acutely aware of them sharing strategies and battle tactics and I only half-acknowledged my astonishment of Jasper's expertise on the subject of destroying vampires. A part of me yearned to know more about where this guy came from, but I smothered the emotion. Distraction was not something I could afford at the moment.

As I followed the car, I watched the sky change from being a gray sheet to an almost apocalyptic like scene. The clouds had become so thick and dense that the shadows they created beneath them were like a black omen. I eyed the nearest cloud approaching from the west and groaned. It was a monolith that towered over the world in a sinister show of force. It looked like it was defying the laws of nature – not even gravity could hold it down. To make everything even eerier, pockets of light filtered through some of the gaps between the clouds, showering certain areas in illumination while leaving others to revel in darkness. A part of me just wished it would rain already. Anything was better that this scene that looked like something out of European painting during the Black Death that I remembered from history class.

The forest became thicker as I careened around the road. It was hard for me to find a large enough opening for me to fit through in between the trees. I realized that the forest was taking every advantage of the absence of human life. I gulped – "absence of human life" had become to mean more to me than it ever did before.

I almost stumbled when I abruptly felt the urge to do two actions simultaneously: one was this overpowering feeling to stop – and the other was my duty to keep tracking the car ahead of me. The compulsion to stop was fostered by a smell that wafted into my nostrils from what seemed like everywhere.

It was blood.

My first thought was that it was Bella's and that I was too late. Lucky for me, I realized almost at the same time that Bella's blood did not smell like any of the aroma's that were floating around me – plus, I knew she was in the car ahead of me. But I knew this much: they were all human – and it was as if all of them were buried right under the ground beneath my feet. A low rumble began in the back of my throat and was beginning to escalate into a full-fledged howl when Embry was suddenly shouting at me.

_Jake! You'll be heard – I know this sucks, but you got to control yourself! _

_Sucks? Ha! _I laughed sardonically. _Yeah, _it _sure does _suck.

_Listen Jake, we're coming after you now. Emmett and Rosalie have already taken care of that other vamp you destroyed in the woods. Esme is staying behind and covering for Bella so Charlie isn't suspicious. When we get to this "cabin", or whatever it is, we're going to split into two groups to confuse them. Jake – Sam wants you to focus on getting Bella out of there alive – he knows you're the only one with the self-control and the ability to do it. Alice and Carlisle are going to focus on getting out Edward. _

I snapped my jaw once and said, _Fine – but so much murder close-by and we never even realized it?! How can this happen? How many of them _are _there? _

_Alice said around 9 or 10 – she's not exactly sure,_ replied Jared matter-of-factly.

_Oh – then this battle is going to be cake. We outnumber them easily! _

_Not so fast Jacob,_ Sam exclaimed, his voice concealing none of his authority as alpha male. _If you were paying attention, you would have heard everything that Jasper said about these vampires. They're older and surer about their abilities. They should be able to fight just as easily as we can. It's going to be a pretty even battle. And that is why we have to be on our guard at all times – one of us might not make it._

My eyes widened. What Sam had said was certainly sobering, but I brushed it aside. I was too confident in our abilities that failure seemed like a distant, inconceivable thing. Plus, there was no way I was going to miss this battle.

The road steadily turned into gravel and the pockets of light that shone between the edges of the clouds slowly faded like someone turning the dimmer down on a light-switch. Soon, everything was covered in a murky gray that silenced the entire forest, save the trees whose leaves would rustle in a violent wind. The hackles on the back of my neck rose as the car veered onto a narrow, hidden path through the woods. I followed until the forest and brush thinned to reveal a small, secluded meadow. In its center was a rustic-looking wooden cabin large enough to house maybe eight people.

_Hey, guys – tell them I'm at the cabin now. God – that little bloodsucker was right…_ I thought, adding the last comment unconsciously.

Cautiously, I approached the cabin, crouched low and hidden within in the tall grasses. From my position I was still able to see the silver car pull up in front of the cabin and park. I watched with a sick stomach as the blond leech exit the car, walk lithely around to its side door, grab Bella from inside, and slam the door shut. In the leech's arms, Bella looked like nothing more than a rag doll – her head rolled to the side and her arms and legs draped limply around her. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn she was dead.

The small vampire entered the cabin, shutting the door behind her.

_Wait Jacob – don't do anything stupid! Wait a minute until the coast is clear before you approach the cabin_, Sam warned quickly.

I grimaced, hating having to be sneaky. I wanted this to be over with. I wanted Bella to be safe again.

A minute passed after what felt like a millennia. I carefully moved toward the cabin, barely making the strands of grass rustle around me. Soon I was close enough to the cabin that I could see through a small window at ground level. The dirt-encrusted window looked into a very deep basement – which surprised me. The house looked too old and disheveled to ever have the capabilities of a basement. But I stopped pondering about the cabins structural abilities when I saw movement within the basement's dark crevices.

There were shadows – difficult to tell how many. I could see one pacing back and forth and three clumped in a far corner – almost far enough away to be hidden from the window. There were others in various locations in the basement, still and stone-like. The sweet stench was becoming sickeningly unbearable again.

My eyes flicked to the side when I noticed movement out of the far left corner of the little window. Immediately I could tell what the dark shape walking into the middle of the room was and I clenched my teeth to keep from howling. The small leech stopped in the center of the window and placed Bella in a wooden chair that I had not noticed was there before. Another shadow moved behind the chair. It bent down until its hands were moving rapidly – I didn't understand the movement.

_Jake – I think they're tying her to the chair_, Embry pointed out as my eyes widened.

As soon as the shadow behind the chair was done, it withdrew and the small leech stepped forward again. This time, it reached up until it flicked on a single light-bulb hanging from the ceiling over Bella's chair. The light illuminating the room was creepy and dim – having the ability to simultaneously reveal the tiny dust particles floating around the chair, but also showing little else in the room besides Bella's lifeless form. However, I was able to see the three figures in the far corner more distinctly. One was kneeling on the floor with a sack over its head. Two were guarding it – a gangly male with black hair and a brown haired female. I gasped internally, comprehension dawning.

_That's him_, I thought.

_I'll relay the information_, Sam thought. _Listen, we're going to be the first one's there Jacob. Don't do anything until we get there – we're attacking first. The Cullen's are going to stay back in the surrounding forest and sneak in for a surprise attack._

I didn't say anything with my thoughts, but I knew he understood that _I_ understood. I was more focused on watching _him_ under the sack. He knelt, unmoving and unbelievably rigid. I snorted, unable to help myself from thinking that if he truly loved Bella, he'd have figured a way to rescue her by now.

Out of the corner of my eye, I observed as the delicate blond one wave something under Bella's nose. My hair stood on end as I watched Bella jerk violently out of her stupor and gaze around at her surroundings with a look of pure terror. I dug my claws into the ground, growling softly.

The two vampires guarding Edward removed his sack then to reveal his face. He was still blind-folded and his mouth had been gagged. I realized that in order to shut him up, they had used a steel chain and duct tape.

_Wow,_ I mused. _They really _had_ thought of everything_.

I eyed the two leeches as they removed his blindfold. What I saw made me physically recoil from the window. If looks could kill, I would have been dead hours ago.

Edward looked half mad. If he were human, his eyes would have been bright red around the rims and bulging from his sockets. As it was, his eyes were just wide and murderous – his eyebrows slanted deep and hideously. His hair was disheveled and there was dirt molded to his cheeks. To be honest, it was the most he had ever looked like a vampire since I had first met him.

When he caught a glimpse of Bella in a chair, his carefully built expression almost completely collapsed to reveal un-distilled despair and horror. But he was cautious not to show it totally. Instead, an insane determination took hold of him and he launched as far as he could toward Bella's chair before the two vampires dragged him back. Actually, two wasn't enough – it took four of them total just to drag his struggling body back over into the corner of the room. I realized then that Bella had turned around to watch this and was yelling something incomprehensible, her eyes streaming with tears.

Just then, Edward, Bella, and the other vampire's heads twisted in unison to the approach of another shadow from the opposite side of the window. As the figure stepped into the light, I nearly shouted in my head, _Target sighted! I have her in sight!_

Victoria was standing in front of Bella with a look of triumph written across her face. Her hair shown like a firestorm in the dim room light and her slender figure moved with a poise that had everyone, minus the small, blond vampire, staring. She walked around Bella strapped to the chair like a cat that had caught a thoroughly entertaining mouse. As she did so, she talked but the words were too soft to understand from up here. However, I could read Bella's face – she looked mortified.

_Guys – where the hell are you?! _I shouted.

_About another half hour away – we had to make a pit stop,_ Quil explained.

_What?_ I exclaimed. As I watched my father's face swim into view and Sam explaining to him a cover story he should use for the rest of La Push and for anyone else who asked where we were, I understood.

_Was that really necessary? I mean, this thing is going down like _now_! _I yelled.

_We're going as fast as we can Jacob; you're just going to have to be patient and wait_," Sam reassured. Despite this, I didn't feel at _all_ reassured. If anything, I was more stressed.

Victoria continued to revolve around Bella, engrossed like a moth to a flame. She stopped when she was in front of Bella's chair and grabbed her chin to look at her properly – saying something that sounded like a question. Bella closed her eyes and clenched her jaw in defiance. I couldn't help but smile somewhat at that. Victoria raised her eyebrows in amusement. Releasing Bella's chin, Victoria acted as if she was just going to walk away, before she turned around so suddenly that I hardly caught the movement myself, and slapped Bella across the cheek.

Bella screamed in agony despite her obvious attempts at controlling her emotions. In turn, Edward was screaming with her. My whole body shook with the force of their dual sounds. It was so horrifyingly chilling, it felt like my heart had froze over. I was rooted to the spot, to numb to completely comprehend the deep, angry, blue-brown bruise developing on Bella's right cheek.

_You're lucky Jake – Victoria was holding back. She could have killed her in that one hit, but she didn't – at least, not yet,_ Embry reasoned.

Still shaking, I listened as the screams subsided to painful sobs. Victoria had walked away, and now the blond one was in front of Bella. She was speaking to her as well – delicately, almost kindly. Bella was shaking her head at her and biting her bottom lip. Displeased, the blond one grabbed Bella's left wrist and twisted it back as if it were clay to be molded. I heard a faint "pop" sound, and I could feel the tears in my own eyes, imagining the pain.

The screams were even louder than the first time – so deafeningly loud that I was on the verge of screaming myself. Edward was pushing with as much might as he could against the combined weight of the four holding him back. By this time, he had broken through the steel chain that was in his mouth and had bitten through the duct tape. They both were lying on the floor beside him as he screamed curses at the two women torturers in front of Bella. By that time, I had reached my limit.

_I'm going in_, I roared, standing on all fours. _I can't take this anymore!_

_No Jake! Stay where you are – that's an order!_ Sam demanded. _I can't let you revealing our plan to them! _I could feel the weight of the alpha dog's command on my shoulders – the insane compulsion to listen to him. But this time, I did not give in.

_No!_ I shouted back. Before I knew it, the packs protestations had faded into the back of my mind – faded until they were there no more. My four legs had disappeared until I was only standing on two. I pulled on my clothes so aggressively that I thought my pants were going to rip into two. With utmost vigilance, I crossed passed the hidden window in the ground and moved around to the side of the cabin until I was at the front door. I knew I probably should have thought through what I was going to do next, but my mind was so steadfast and acting on a combination of instincts and impulses that I just did the first thing I could think of: I knocked on the door.

In just two seconds, the door swung open to reveal a severe looking bloodsucker with gold-blond hair and bright red eyes that stared at me in the doorway. To me, he looked just as young as the other vampire I had killed that day.

"Pizza delivery?" I said.

And then I punched the bloodsucker straight in the face.

-----

_**AN: **__Hey guys – I actually updated!! -shock- I know, it's taken me almost a year to write this, but, to be honest, I have almost completely lost my inspiration to write this fan-fiction. In fact, I was just going to stop this completely. After reading Meyer's _Breaking Dawn_, watching the _Twilight_ movie, and participating in an inordinate amount of intelligent discussions on the series in general, I can hardly call myself a fan anymore. Sorry guys, but I've truly lost my initial love for the series. It just doesn't seem as real and relatable to me as it once did. _

_However, I had written most of this chapter back in July, August, and September of last year – I only needed to finish the final parts of it. As I was looking through my computer files, I found the document for this chapter and my curiosity got the better of me. I opened the file and re-read what I had written. I have to say, it's one of my more exciting chapters; pretty soon I was itching to write the last parts of it, so I ended up spending most of last night finishing it. I thought back to my original plans for this story, and I know that I'm towards the end of it – and it gets pretty intense. After all, this _is_ the ending I had originally predicted for _Eclipse_, and I had wanted to get a chance to write for the past two years this story has been going on for. _

_So – __**I'll make you a deal**__. If you guys want me to continue this story, __**please review!**__**Even if you don't like this story**__ or would like to offer some critiques for me – I don't care! Anything is welcome! :D If I reach a certain amount of reviews (I'm not going to tell you how many – so just review please!) I will continue with my original intentions for this fan-fic as planned. So it's all up to you guys whether this story lives or dies! _

_Again, I'm sorry to all you fans of this who've stuck with me through this very lagging story. It's for you guys that I truly finished this chapter and why I'm actually considering wrapping up the entire story! Thank you guys so much – you're all so awesome!!! _

_So _**please review**_and I'll try to update as soon as I can! _


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